The aim was to evaluate the need of assistance with daily oral hygiene measures among nursing home resident elderly versus the actualassistancereceived from the staff. The need of daily oral hygiene assistance was assessed descriptively for nursing home resident elderly who participated in an annual oral health screening in three geographical regions in Sweden, in the year 2008. All individuals of age ≥ 65 years were included (n = 22,453; 6,327 men; 16,126 women). The proportion of individu...

The purpose of this study was to examine animal assisted therapy (AAT) in the school setting. This study reviewed the potential social, emotional, and educational benefits that children and adolescents may gain from utilizing an animal assisted therapy dog. This study utilized The Relationship Inventory and The AAT (Animal Assisted Therapy)…

... Medicaid agency must provide Medicaid to individuals receiving cash assistance under OAA, AFDC, AB, APTD... the home is considered essential to the well-being of a recipient under the State's plan for OAA,...

There has been considerable normative research about how farmers should make marketing decisions, but little positive research on what farmers really do. Regressions of gender, total volume, timing, and frequency of sales on the average weighted price received are used to test hypotheses regarding gender differences, myopic loss aversion, economies of size, and market efficiency.

.g. in terms of participation in job training schemes and a requirement? of a certain minimum amount ( app 3 months ) of employment in the open labour market has increased. The arguments in the policy discource has been that lower benefits increases motivation and realistic, rational jobseeking behavior....... In short: lower benefit levels increases motivation which in turn increases labour market inclusion. This paper presents empirical results from an ongoing research project ( Consequences of living on the lowest social benefits financed by the Danish Social Council (Rådet for Socialt Udsatte) ,2008...... data consisted of 2 national surveys as well as 2 series of qualitative interviews with citizens on social assistance Among other things the respondents were about what they regarded as the most important barriers for improving their labour market and income position. A clear majority of the citizens...

... disaster. 416.1237 Section 416.1237 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SUPPLEMENTAL... on account of major disaster. (a) Assistancereceived under the Disaster Relief and Emergency... declared to be a major disaster by the President of the United States or comparable assistance...

Background: This study investigates the role of IQ, autistic traits and challenging behaviours in affecting adult outcomes among adolescents who receive special educational assistance. Methods: A total of 58 participants were recruited from an ongoing longitudinal study. All received assessments of IQ, behavioural patterns (using the Childhood…

Full Text Available Introduction To investigate and highlight the effect of formaldehyde induced weight reduction in transurethral resection of prostate (TURP and radical robotically-assisted prostatectomy (RALP specimen as a result of standard chemical fixation. Materials and Methods 51 patients were recruited from January 2013 to June 2013 who either underwent a TURP (n=26 or RALP (n=25. Data was collected prospectively by the operating surgeon who measured the native, unfixed histology specimen directly after operation. The specimens were fixed in 10% Formaldehyde Solution BP and sent to the pathology laboratory where after sufficient fixation period was re-weighed. Results Overall mean age 64.78 years, TURP mean age 68.31 years RALP mean age 61.12years. We found that the overall prostatic specimen (n=51 weight loss after fixation was a mean of 11.20% (3.78 grams (p≤0.0001. Subgroup analysis of the native TURP chips mean weight was 16.15 grams and formalin treated mean weight was 14.00 grams (p≤0.0001. Therefore, TURP chips had a mean of 13.32 % (2.15 grams weight loss during chemical fixation. RALP subgroup unfixed specimen mean weight was 52.08 grams and formalin treated mean weight was 42.60 grams (p≤0.0001, a 19.32 % (9.48grams mean weight reduction. Conclusion It has not been known that prostatic chips and whole human radical prostatectomy specimen undergo a significant weight reduction. The practical significance of the accurate prostate weight in patient management may be limited, however, it is agreed that this should be recorded correctly, as data is potential interest for research purposes and vital for precise documentation.

Objective: To investigate the dosimetric difference of organ at risk (OAR) for planning and actual estimated during intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: Thirteen patients were enrolled to accept full course of IMRT. CT scans were acquired in the 10th, 20th, and 30th fractions during radiotherapy, respectively. OAR, including brain stem, spinal cord, parotid gland and submandibular gland, were delineated on repeated CT scans. The volume change of OAR were investigated. After that, the plans were copied to the new CT image to calculate the escalated average dose of OAR during radiotherapy (Actual estimated receiving dose minus planning dose). Results: The change trend of volume was decreasing gradually for parotid gland and submandibular gland during the 10th, 20th, and 30th times radiotherapy (all P =0.000). The maximum dose (Dmax) of brain stem and spinal cord and the 50% volume receiving dose (D50) of parotid gland increased significantly in the 10th, 20th, and 30th times during radiotherapy, respectively. The escalated average dose were 3.76 and 3.68 Gy for Dmax of brain stem and spinal cord (P =0.000, 0.000), 5.11 and 3.54 Gy for D50 of left and right parotid (P =0.001, 0.023), and 0.49 and 0.75 Gy for D50 of left and right submandibular gland (P =0.220, 0.230), respectively. Conclusions: The volume of parotid gland and submandibular gland significantly decreased after radiotherapy. The actualreceiving dose of brain stem,spinal cord, and parotid gland increased significantly during radiotherapy. However, there was no significant change for the actualreceiving dose of submandibular gland. (authors)

Background: This study evaluated the quality of life and anxiety-depression levels of patients prior to receivingassisted reproductive techniques. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional research was conducted in the In-Vitro Fer¬tilization Unit of a private University’s Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Study participants consisted of 160 individuals diagnosed as infertile whose treatment plans were determined, as well as 160 reportedly healthy fertile indiv...

We estimate the effect of active labour-market programmes on the exit rate to regular employment for non-western immigrants in Denmark who receive social assistance. We use the timing-of-events duration model and rich administrative data. We find large positive post-programme effects, and......, surprisingly, even most in-programme effects are positive. The effects are largest for subsidized employment programmes, but effects are also large and significant for direct employment programmes and other programmes. Effects are larger if programmes begin after six months of unemployment. Implications of our...

... assistance only to the following persons: (1) Public school personnel. (2) Students enrolled in public schools, parents of those students, and other community members. (Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2000c-2)...

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Where do I find help or receive technical assistance in complying with the policies and standards? 10.7 Section 10.7 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF... help or receive technical assistance in complying with the policies and standards? The BIA has...

Full Text Available Those who provide services for people who experience food insecurity come into contact with people who do not always present themselves courteously and favorably. Using case examples from the food bank industry, the authors of this paper will: (1 discuss why people sometimes behave discourteously when seeking assistance from human services professionals; (2 give case examples of how social workers could properly respond to these situations and, (3 give recommendations for effectively working with this client population.

Introduction: The study aim was to describe behaviours associated with autistic traits. Methods: The Childhood Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) were used as measures of behaviour and autistic traits respectively in 331 adolescents receiving educational support. CBCL scores were compared between three groups…

A dual-mode analog baseband with digital-assisted DC-offset calibration (DCOC) for WCDMA/GSM receiver is presented. A digital-assisted DCOC is proposed to solve the DC-offset problem by removing the DC-offset component only. This method has no bandwidth sacrifice. After calibration the measured output residual offset voltage is within 5 mV at most gain settings and the IIP2 is more than 60 dBm. The baseband is designed to be reconfigurable at bandwidths of 200 kHz and 2.1 MHz. Total baseband gain can be programmed from 6 to 54 dB. The chip is manufactured with 0.13 μm CMOS technology and consumes 10 mA from a 1.5 V supply in the GSM mode including an on-chip buffer while the core area occupies 1.2 mm2. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Objectives While numerous cell phone use while driving laws have been passed among states, little information exists regarding who gets cited for these traffic infractions and how much these laws are enforced at the state-level within the USA. Design Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Setting 14 states and the District of Columbia. Participants Those receiving cell phone use while driving citations within included states from 2007 to 2013. Primary outcome Demographic characteristics of cited...

The Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) facility, located on the Word Site in southeast Washington, is a key link in the certification of transuranic (TRU) waste for shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Waste characterization is one of the vital functions performed at WRAP, and nondestructive assay (NDA) measurements of TRU waste containers is one of two required methods used for waste characterization. The Waste Acceptance Criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, DOE/WIPP-069 (WIPP-WAC) delineates the quality assurance objectives which have been established for NDA measurement systems. Sites must demonstrate that the quality assurance objectives can be achieved for each radioassay system over the applicable ranges of measurement. This report summarizes the validation of the WRAP NDA systems against the radioassay quality assurance objectives or QAOs. A brief description of the each test and significant conclusions are included. Variables that may have affected test outcomes and system response are also addressed

The aim is to assess the prevalence of poverty among families receiving social assistance. We will examine the incidence of poverty among the recipients in relation to the general poverty profile. To answer these questions, the adequacy and poverty reduction effectiveness of social assistance schemes are examined. On the contrary to earlier studies that have mainly analysed the poverty reduction effectiveness for the recipients or the population as a whole, this paper has a specific focus on ...

This paper presents a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) circuit with a digitally assisted DC offset cancellation (DCOC) scheme for a direct conversion WLAN receiver. Implemented in a standard 0.13-μm CMOS process, the PGA occupies 0.39 mm2 die area and dissipates 6.5 mW power from a 1.2 V power supply. By using a single loop single digital-to-analog converter (DAC) mixed signal DC offset cancellation topology, the minimum DCOC settling time achieved is as short as 1.6 μs with the PGA gain ranging from −8 to 54 dB in a 2 dB step. The DCOC loop utilizes a segmented DAC structure to lower the design complexity without sacrificing accuracy and a digital control algorithm to dynamically set the DCOC loop to fast or normal response mode, making the PGA circuit in compliance with the targeted WLAN specifications. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

This paper presents a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) circuit with a digitally assisted DC offset cancellation (DCOC) scheme for a direct conversion WLAN receiver.Implemented in a standard 0.13-μm CMOS process,the PGA occupies 0.39 mm2 die area and dissipates 6.5 mW power from a 1.2 V power supply.By using a single loop single digital-to-analog converter (DAC) mixed signal DC offset cancellation topology,the minimum DCOC settling time achieved is as short as 1.6 μs with the PGA gain ranging from-8 to 54 dB in a 2 dB step.The DCOC loop utilizes a segmented DAC structure to lower the design complexity without sacrificing accuracy and a digital control algorithm to dynamically set the DCOC loop to fast or normal response mode,making the PGA circuit in compliance with the targeted WLAN specifications.

Background Strengthening self-efficacy in job-seeking among individuals with dental problems has been identified as an important factor in facilitating job procurement and maintenance. There is no knowledge about whether receiving dental treatment improves someone’s self-efficacy in seeking a job. This work explores this relationship. Methods An exploratory pilot study of a convenience sample of 30 social assistance recipients of Ontario, Canada, was conducted using a pre- and post-dental tre...

目的:探讨辅助生殖技术(ART)妊娠妇女心理健康状况,为ART妊娠妇女心理护理提供理论依据.方法:采用症状自评量表(SCL-90)中国修订版进行问卷调查,选择2009年6月至2010年6月在我院生殖中心接受ART的妊娠妇女110例作为研究对象,分孕早期、孕中期、孕晚期三次进行问卷调查,并与在我院产科门诊做系统保健的110例自然妊娠妇女作对照分析.结果:妊娠早期ART妊娠妇女的焦虑因子分值高于自然妊娠妇女(t=2.189,P＜0.05);妊娠晚期ART妊娠妇女的焦虑因子分值高于自然妊娠妇女(t=2.219,P＜0.01);妊娠早期ART妊娠妇女抑郁因子分值高于自然妊娠妇女(t=2.176,P＜0.05);妊娠晚期ART妊娠妇女抑郁因子分值高于自然妊娠妇女(t=2.183,P＜0.01).结论:ART妊娠妇女心理健康明显低于自然妊娠妇女,加强对ART妊娠妇女心理干预势在必行.%Objective: To explore the psychological conditions of the pregnant woman receivedassisted reproductive technology (ART) which can provide reference for clinical care. Methods: Chinese revised version of Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) was used in this survey. A total of 110 cases of pregnancy who received ART from June 2009 to June 2010 in our hospital enrolled in this study. The other 110 cases of natural pregnancy were selected as comparative group. All of them had been investigated three times when they were in the time of early pregnancy, mid-pregnancy and late pregnancy. Results: In early pregnancy and late pregnancy, the anxiety factor scores of the pregnant woman received ART in both early and late stage of pregnancy were significantly higher than the natural pregnant women (t=2.189, P<0.05 and t=2.219, P<0.01). Meanwhile, the depression factor scores in both early and late stage of pregnant women after ART were higher than the natural pregnancy women (t=2.176, P<0.05 and (=2.183, P<0.01)Conclusion: Mental health of pregnant women received ART was significantly

The general aim of this thesis was to investigate how delegation of medication is handled in municipal home care. Specific aims were to 1) explore the prevalence of medication use in older adults over time; 2) describe district nurses’ experiences of the delegation of medication management to municipal home care personnel; 3) explore and describe how home care assistants experience receiving the actual delegation of the responsibility of medication administration; and 4) to describe how older...

Adaptation of working environment (social, organizational, physical and physical) should assure higher level of workers availability and consequently higher level of workers performance. A special theoretical model for description of connections between environmental factors, human availability and performance was developed and validated. The central part of the model is evaluations of human actual availability in the real working situation or fitness for duties self-estimation. The model was tested in different working environments. On the numerous of 2000 workers standardized values and critical limits for Availability questionnaire were defined. Standardized method was used in identification of the most important impact of environmental factors. Identified problems were eliminated by investments in the organization in modification of selection and training procedures in humanization of working environment. For workers with behavioural and health problems individual consultancy was offered. Described method is a tool for identification of impacts. In combination with behavioural analyses and mathematical analyses of connections offers possibilities to keep adequate level of human availability and fitness for duty in each real working situation. Model should be a tool for achieving adequate level of nuclear safety by keeping the adequate level of workers availability and fitness for duty. For each individual worker possibility for estimation of level of actual fitness for duty is possible. Effects of prolonged work and additional tasks should be evaluated. Evaluations of health status effects and ageing are possible on the individual level. (author)

Adaptation of working environment (social, organizational, physical and physical) should assure higher level of workers' availability and consequently higher level of workers' performance. A special theoretical model for description of connections between environmental factors, human availability and performance was developed and validated. The central part of the model is evaluations of human actual availability in the real working situation or fitness for duties self-estimation. The model was tested in different working environments. On the numerous (2000) workers, standardized values and critical limits for an availability questionnaire were defined. Standardized method was used in identification of the most important impact of environmental factors. Identified problems were eliminated by investments in the organization in modification of selection and training procedures in humanization of working .environment. For workers with behavioural and health problems individual consultancy was offered. The described method is a tool for identification of impacts. In combination with behavioural analyses and mathematical analyses of connections, it offers possibilities to keep adequate level of human availability and fitness for duty in each real working situation. The model should be a tool for achieving adequate level of nuclear safety by keeping the adequate level of workers' availability and fitness for duty. For each individual worker possibility for estimation of level of actual fitness for duty is possible. Effects of prolonged work and additional tasks should be evaluated. Evaluations of health status effects and ageing are possible on the individual level. (author)

The book is concerned with the design of microelectronic radio receivers and their components based on semiconductor and hybrid integrated circuits. Topics discussed include the hierarchical structure of radio receivers, the synthesis of structural schemes, the design of the principal functional units, and the design of radio receiver systems with digital signal processing. The discussion also covers the integrated circuits of multifunctional amplifiers, analog multipliers, charge-transfer devices, frequency filters, piezoelectronic devices, and microwave amplifiers, filters, and mixers.

Instantaneous frequency measurement receivers are a well-established technology that is used for the ultrafast characterization of pulsed microwave signals over a broad bandwidth. Recently, numerous photonic approaches to instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) have been proposed and experimentally demonstrated, with the ultimate aim of leveraging the benefits of optical technology to improve the performance of already existent electronic solutions. Despite the numerous results, not so much...

Full Text Available Abstract Background Women who undergo radiotherapy for gynaecological cancer (GC can experience distressing side effects which impact on psychosocial functioning and intimate relationships. Cancer-related distress may be ameliorated by comprehensive preparation for treatment and addressing women’s informational, physical, psychological and psychosexual needs. This paper describes the protocol for a multisite randomised controlled trial (RCT testing a novel intervention package which combines tailored specialist nursing consultations and telephone peer support with the primary aim to reduce psychological distress. Secondary aims assess patient quality of life, symptom distress, unmet supportive care needs, preparation for treatment, psychosexual functioning and vaginal stenosis. Methods/design This multifaceted intervention comprises four nurse-led consultations coupled with four phone calls from a peer support volunteer (GC survivor. The evidence-based intervention will be delivered at critical points in the illness trajectory: pre-treatment, mid-treatment, treatment completion and post-treatment. Nurses and peers undergo 2-day intensive training workshops, are guided by comprehensive study intervention manuals and receive ongoing supervision and support. Eligible patients will have a diagnosis of GC, be scheduled to receive curative radiotherapy, be aged 18 years or over and speak English. Three-hundred and six participants will be randomized to receive usual care or usual care with the intervention package. Study outcome measures will be collected at baseline, day 1 of radiotherapy and 1, 6 and 12 months post radiotherapy. Clinical assessments of vaginal toxicity will occur at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months post radiotherapy. Discussion This timely research has the potential to substantially reduce the physical, psychosexual and supportive care needs of women with GC. Using a telephone peer support model, the intervention package ensures

Crop plant residues may enter aquatic ecosystems via wind deposition or surface runoff. In the case of genetically modified crops or crops treated with systemic pesticides, these materials may contain insecticidal Bt toxins or pesticides that potentially affect aquatic life. However, the particular exposure pattern of aquatic ecosystems (i.e., via plant material) is not properly reflected in current risk assessment schemes, which primarily focus on waterborne toxicity and not on plant material as the route of uptake. To assist in risk assessment, the present study proposes a prioritization procedure of stream types based on the freshwater network and crop-specific cultivation data using maize in Germany as a model system. To identify stream types with a high probability of receiving crop materials, we developed a formalized, criteria-based and thus transparent procedure that considers the exposure-related parameters, ecological status--an estimate of the diversity and potential vulnerability of local communities towards anthropogenic stress--and availability of uncontaminated reference sections. By applying the procedure to maize, ten stream types out of 38 are expected to be the most relevant if the ecological effects from plant-incorporated pesticides need to be evaluated. This information is an important first step to identifying habitats within these stream types with a high probability of receiving crop plant material at a more local scale, including accumulation areas. Moreover, the prioritization procedure developed in the present study may support the selection of aquatic species for ecotoxicological testing based on their probability of occurrence in stream types having a higher chance of exposure. Finally, this procedure can be adapted to any geographical region or crop of interest and is, therefore, a valuable tool for a site-specific risk assessment of crop plants carrying systemic pesticides or novel proteins, such as insecticidal Bt toxins, expressed

Full Text Available In this paper a possible interpretative value of Aristotle’s fundamental ontological doctrine of potentiality (δύναµις and actuality (ἐνέργεια is considered in the context of operationally undoubtedly the most successful but interpretatively still controversial theory of modern physics – quantum mechanics – especially regarding understanding the nature of the world, the phenomena of which it describes and predicts so successfully. In particular, beings of the atomic world are interpreted as real potential beings (δυνάµει ὄντα actualized by the measurement process in appropriate experimental arrangement, and the problem of actual beings (ἐνεργείᾳ ὄντα of the atomic world (better known as the measurement problem in quantum mechanics is considered in the context of Aristotle’s threefold requirement for the priority of actuality over potentiality – in time (χρόνος, definition or knowledge (λόγος, and substantiality (οὐσία.

The increasing flow of commodities represents a fundamental component of the actual changes within the economic systems at global, regional and local frameworks. It must be pointed that these changes have not a quantity substance only, but at the same time, a structural and an operational one. The structural changes refer in the essence to the production systems and the operational ones to the transport systems and, compulsory, to the distribution. So, being given this situation, the essentia...

Residential thermostats have been a key element in controlling heating and cooling systems for over sixty years. However, today's modern programmable thermostats (PTs) are complicated and difficult for users to understand, leading to errors in operation and wasted energy. Four separate tests of usability were conducted in preparation for a larger study. These tests included personal interviews, an on-line survey, photographing actual thermostat settings, and measurements of ability to accomplish four tasks related to effective use of a PT. The interviews revealed that many occupants used the PT as an on-off switch and most demonstrated little knowledge of how to operate it. The on-line survey found that 89% of the respondents rarely or never used the PT to set a weekday or weekend program. The photographic survey (in low income homes) found that only 30% of the PTs were actually programmed. In the usability test, we found that we could quantify the difference in usability of two PTs as measured in time to accomplish tasks. Users accomplished the tasks in consistently shorter times with the touchscreen unit than with buttons. None of these studies are representative of the entire population of users but, together, they illustrate the importance of improving user interfaces in PTs.

Receivers systems are considered the core of electronic warfare (EW) intercept systems. Without them, the fundamental purpose of such systems is null and void. This book considers the major elements that make up receiver systems and the receivers that go in them.This resource provides system design engineers with techniques for design and development of EW receivers for modern modulations (spread spectrum) in addition to receivers for older, common modulation formats. Each major module in these receivers is considered in detail. Design information is included as well as performance tradeoffs o

The most actual goals of geoethics have been formulated as results of the International Conference on Geoethics (October 2013) held at the geoethics birth-place Pribram (Czech Republic): In the sphere of education and public enlightenment an appropriate needed minimum know how of Earth sciences should be intensively promoted together with cultivating ethical way of thinking and acting for the sustainable well-being of the society. The actual activities of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Changes are not sustainable with the existing knowledge of the Earth sciences (as presented in the results of the 33rd and 34th International Geological Congresses). This knowledge should be incorporated into any further work of the IPCC. In the sphere of legislation in a large international co-operation following steps are needed: - to re-formulate the term of a "false alarm" and its legal consequences, - to demand very consequently the needed evaluation of existing risks, - to solve problems of rights of individuals and minorities in cases of the optimum use of mineral resources and of the optimum protection of the local population against emergency dangers and disasters; common good (well-being) must be considered as the priority when solving ethical dilemmas. The precaution principle should be applied in any decision making process. Earth scientists presenting their expert opinions are not exempted from civil, administrative or even criminal liabilities. Details must be established by national law and jurisprudence. The well known case of the L'Aquila earthquake (2009) should serve as a serious warning because of the proven misuse of geoethics for protecting top Italian seismologists responsible and sentenced for their inadequate superficial behaviour causing lot of human victims. Another recent scandal with the Himalayan fossil fraud will be also documented. A support is needed for any effort to analyze and to disclose the problems of the deformation of the contemporary

Full Text Available ... actually mimicking -- these mimicking the movement of the human hand and the human wrist. Clips, please. So what Dr. Pinon has ... for robots to operate without the assistance of humans? Not yet. We are not quite there. The ...

Proper modelling of astronomical receivers is vital: it describes the systematic errors in the raw data, guides the receiver design process, and assists data calibration. In this paper we describe a method of analytically modelling the full signal and noise behaviour of arbitrarily complex radio receivers. We use electrical scattering matrices to describe the signal behaviour of individual components in the receiver, and noise correlation matrices to describe their noise behaviour. These are combined to produce the full receiver model. We apply this approach to a specified receiver architecture: a hybrid of a continous comparison radiometer and correlation polarimeter designed for the C-Band All-Sky Survey. We produce analytic descriptions of the receiver Mueller matrix and noise temperature, and discuss how imperfections in crucial components affect the raw data. Many of the conclusions drawn are generally applicable to correlation polarimeters and continuous comparison radiometers.

Indicators of central bank independence (CBI) based on the interpretation central bank laws in place may not capture the actual independence of the central bank. This paper develops an indicator of actual independence of the Bank Indonesia (BI), the central bank of Indonesia, for the period 1953-2008 and compares it with a new legal CBI indicator based on Cukierman (1992). The indicator of actual independence captures institutional and economic factors that affect CBI. We find that before 199...

Full Text Available Violence against women in Spain is currently a problem of state public health and of great social concern because of numerous cases of women murdered by their partners or former partners. The objective of this study was to study the perceptions of battered women on health care received.To achieve that aim a qualitative study was developed as the study population were battered women who lived in the Comunidad de Madrid. Data were collected by the performance of focus groups and deep interviews. The women in our study identified health care with assistance provided only in case of physical injuries. Somatizations that abuse occurs were treated by sanitary professionals without addressing the causes that produce them, however, expressed for something more than the professionals who attended, though the women were not able to verbalize to them. The women believed that every healthcare professional has a specific function, therefore, addressed whether mental health professionals without being specialists in this field, was a "matter of luck." It is evident that the actual biopsychosocial concept of health has no draft in the population, or health professionals, making health care was highly valued by them because they solved the specific problems that require assistance.

This article reports the actual participation in leisure activities by a sample of Norwegian adolescents with Down syndrome aged 14. Representing a first generation to grow up in a relatively inclusive context, they live with their families, attend mainstream schools, and are part of common community life. Leisure information was obtained in individual, structured parent interviews, and added to existing longitudinal data from a project following the sample. Generally, the leisure activity may be viewed as varying along a continuum-reaching from formal, organized, and assisted activity participation outside home, to informal, self-organized, and independent participation at home. Formal leisure activities were either organized "for all" or "adapted for disabled." The adolescents' leisure appears as active and social. However, social participation largely involved parents and family, while socializing with other adolescents mainly took place within formal activities adapted for disabled. Clearly, formal and informal activities provide rather different opportunities for social encounters and assistance. PMID:24515503

Given a causal model of some domain and a particular story that has taken place in this domain, the problem of actual causation is deciding which of the possible causes for some effect actually caused it. One of the most influential approaches to this problem has been developed by Halpern and Pearl in the context of structural models. In this paper, I argue that this is actually not the best setting for studying this problem. As an alternative, I offer the probabilistic logic programming language of CP-logic. Unlike structural models, CP-logic incorporates the deviant/default distinction that is generally considered an important aspect of actual causation, and it has an explicitly dynamic semantics, which helps to formalize the stories that serve as input to an actual causation problem.

It is presently planned to remove cesium from Hanford tank waste supernates and sludge wash solutions using ion exchange. To support the development of a cesium ion exchange process, laboratory experiments produced column breakthrough curves using wastes simulants in 200 mL columns. To verify the validity of the simulant tests, column runs with actual supernatants are being planned. The purpose of these actual waste tests is two-fold. First, the tests will verify that use of the simulant accurately reflects the equilibrium and rate behavior of the resin compared to actual wastes. Batch tests and column tests will be used to compare equilibrium behaviors and rate behaviors, respectively. Second, the tests will assist in clarifying the negative interactions between the actual waste and the ion exchange resin, which cannot be effectively tested with simulant. Such interactions include organic fouling of the resin and salt precipitation in the column. These effects may affect the shape of the column breakthrough curve. The reduction in column size also may change the shape of the curve, making the individual effects even more difficult to sort out. To simplify the evaluation, the changes due to column size must be either understood or eliminated. This report describes the determination of the column size for actual waste testing that best minimizes the effect of scale-down. This evaluation will provide a theoretical basis for the dimensions of the column. Experimental testing is still required before the final decision can be made. This evaluation will be confined to the study of CS-100 and R-F resins with NCAW simulant and to a limited extent DSSF waste simulant. Only the cesium loading phase has been considered

The potential for highly efficient and cost competitive solar energy collection at high temperatures drives the actual research and development activities for particle tower systems. One promising concept for particle receivers is the falling particle receiver. This paper is related to a particle receiver, in which falling ceramic particles form a particle curtain, which absorbs the concentrated solar radiation. Complex Operation strategies will result in higher receiver costs, for both...

Ginsburg, Rogers, and Maslow, humanistic theorists, have maintained that the self is an emergent characteristic of one's biological makeup. The relationship between physical self-efficacy as an appraisal of subjective biology and self-actualization was examined in a sample of 160 black and white participants. An r of .46 supports the association of subjective biology and self-actualization. Whereas there were no gender or racial differences in scores on self-actualization, men scored higher on physical self-efficacy and subscales of perceived physical ability and perceived self-presentation confidence. PMID:7899017

In this paper, based on analyses of the Chinese Area Positioning System (CAPS) satellite (GEO satellite) resources and signal properties, the signal power at the port of the receiver antenna is estimated, and the implementation projects are presented for a switching band C to band L CAPS C/A code receiver integrated with GPS receiver suite and for a CAPS dual frequency P code receiver. A microstrip receiving antenna is designed with high sensitivity and wide beam orientation, the RF front end of the C/A code and P code receivers, and a processor is designed for the navigation baseband. A single frequency CAPS C/A code receiver and a CAPS dual frequency P code receiver are built at the same time. A software process flow is provided, and research on relatively key techniques is also conducted, such as signal searching, code loop and carrier loop algorithms, a height assistant algorithm, a dual frequency difference speed measurement technique, a speed measurement technique using a single frequency source with frequency assistance, and a CAPS time correcting algorithm, according to the design frame of the receiver hardware. Research results show that the static plane positioning accuracy of the CAPS C/A code receiver is 20.5-24.6 m, height accuracy is 1.2-12.8 m, speed measurement accuracy is 0.13-0.3 m/s, dynamic plane positioning accuracy is 24.4 m, height accuracy is 3.0 m, and speed measurement accuracy is 0.24 m/s. In the case of C/A code, the timing accuracy is 200 ns, and it is also shown that the positioning accuracy of the CAPS precise code receiver (1σ ) is 5 m from south to north, and 0.8 m from east to west. Finally, research on positioning accuracy is also conducted.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — Actual ET (ETa) is produced using the operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model (Senay and others, 2013) for the period 2000 to present. The...

Copublished with IEE. This Tutorial Text provides an overview of design principles for receivers used in optical communication systems, intended for practicing engineers. The author reviews technologies used to construct optical links and illustrates the flow of system performance specifications into receiver requirements. Photodetector fundamentals, associated statistics, characteristics and performance issues are presented, together with a tutorial on noise analysis and the specific techniques needed to model optical receivers.

... periodic unit inspections while the family is receiving homeownership assistance). The family must comply... assistance requirements; Family obligations. 982.633 Section 982.633 Housing and Urban Development...: Continued assistance requirements; Family obligations. (a) Occupancy of home. Homeownership assistance...

In April 2005, the research paper into ‘Assistance to Tourism: Exploratory Estimates’ was released. It is the first comprehensive attempt to quantify the extent of assistance to tourism on a comparable basis to that for other industries in Australia. While care is needed in interpreting the results, the estimates suggest that tourism receives a lower rate of Australian Government assistance than the average for the manufacturing and primary sectors, but more than for other service industries....

Less than half of all children who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and live in a single-parent home receive child support services. Although filing for child support is a condition of eligibility for income assistance programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), it is not a condition of eligibility for SSI benefits. Requiring single custodial parents applying for SSI on behalf of their children to pursue child support payments might result in more children on SSI receiving child support, and since the Social Security Administration (SSA) excludes one-third of child support when determining benefit amounts, increased receipt of child support would enhance the financial well-being of SSI children. Improving access to data on child support would enhance the integrity of the SSI program by reducing overpayments to children receiving child support. This article looks at the child support provisions in SSI and other means-tested programs and discusses policy options for improving receipt of child support and access to related data. Requiring cooperation with child support enforcement agencies would be consistent with the philosophy that the SSI program should serve as a program of last resort. Whenever possible, both parents should take primary responsibility for their children. While such a requirement has the potential to improve the financial status of children receiving SSI, factors such as their low-income status and their involvement with the TANF program raise questions about how much those children will actually benefit from such a requirement. Even if many additional children do not receive child support, the requirement demonstrates SSA's dedication to the stewardship of the SSI program. However, if custodial parents fail to comply with the requirement, children may be worse off as a result of the requirement. SSA should carefully pursue a requirement to induce cooperation while protecting children to the greatest extent

... Page Resize Text Printer Friendly Online Chat Assistive Technology Assistive technology (AT) is any service or tool that helps ... be difficult or impossible. For older adults, such technology may be a walker to improve mobility or ...

... overwhelming majority of residents are female. Assisted Living Philosophy The philosophy of assisted living is to provide personalized, resident ... loved ones to learn about the care provider philosophy . Freedom of Choice The most progressive state regulations ...

Yalana B. Bryant, assistant director for diversity initiatives at Virginia Tech's Office of Undergraduate Admissions, recently received this year's American Association of University Women (AAUW) of Virginia's Education Advocate of the Year Award at a ceremony in Roanoke, Va.

Full Text Available In the actual context (with issues like as viability of the global markets, cross-border transactions, transparency in financial reporting etc. it is a common interest for professional valuers, investors, universities, researchers etc. to consider a convergent set of global professional valuation standards. It is also in their best interest to work towards enhancement and refinement of valuation methodologies and applications to be prepared to address valuation issues that are bound to arise in the future. The paper is a view of actual universe of valuation standards and options for national valuation standard enforcements starting from the operating system named International Valuation Standards (IVS.

A receiver gain modulation circuit (RGMC) was developed that modulates the power gain of the output of a radiometer receiver with a test signal. As the radiometer receiver switches between calibration noise references, the test signal is mixed with the calibrated noise and thus produces an ensemble set of measurements from which ensemble statistical analysis can be used to extract statistical information about the test signal. The RGMC is an enabling technology of the ensemble detector. As a key component for achieving ensemble detection and analysis, the RGMC has broad aeronautical and space applications. The RGMC can be used to test and develop new calibration algorithms, for example, to detect gain anomalies, and/or correct for slow drifts that affect climate-quality measurements over an accelerated time scale. A generalized approach to analyzing radiometer system designs yields a mathematical treatment of noise reference measurements in calibration algorithms. By treating the measurements from the different noise references as ensemble samples of the receiver state, i.e. receiver gain, a quantitative description of the non-stationary properties of the underlying receiver fluctuations can be derived. Excellent agreement has been obtained between model calculations and radiometric measurements. The mathematical formulation is equivalent to modulating the gain of a stable receiver with an externally generated signal and is the basis for ensemble detection and analysis (EDA). The concept of generating ensemble data sets using an ensemble detector is similar to the ensemble data sets generated as part of ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) with exception of a key distinguishing factor. EEMD adds noise to the signal under study whereas EDA mixes the signal with calibrated noise. It is mixing with calibrated noise that permits the measurement of temporal-functional variability of uncertainty in the underlying process. The RGMC permits the evaluation of EDA by

Personal views on some actual problems in radiation protection are given in this paper. Among these problems are: evolution methodology used in radiation protection regulations; radiation protection, nuclear energy and safety, and new approaches to the process of the hazardous substances management. An interesting fact relating to the X-ray, radiation protection and Nikola Tesla are given also. (author)

There were no differences in biology achievement or critical thinking scores of students of teachers with different degrees of self actualization. However, when grouped according to their success in increasing students' critical thinking ability, effective teachers could be distinguished from ineffective by their scores on the existentiality''…

True citizenship education is impossible unless students develop the habit of intelligently evaluating cultures. Abraham Maslow's theory of self-actualization, a theory of innate human needs and of human motivation, is a nonethnocentric tool which can be used by teachers and students to help them understand other cultures. (SR)

Stresses the need for theoretical justification for the development of humanistic education programs in today's schools. Explores Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs and theory of self-actualization. Argues that Maslow's theory may be the best available for educators concerned with educating the whole child. (JHZ)

The key to human resource development is in actualizing individual and collective thinking, feeling and choosing potentials related to our minds, hearts and wills respectively. These capacities and faculties must be balanced and regulated according to the standards of truth, love and justice for individual, community and institutional development,…

In the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, the ultimate units of reality are actual entities, momentary self-constituting subjects of experience which are too small to be sensibly perceived. Their combination into "societies" with a "common element of form" produces the organisms and inanimate things of ordinary sense experience. According to the proponents of string theory, tiny vibrating strings are the ultimate constituents of physical reality which in harmonious combination yield perceptible entities at the macroscopic level of physical reality. Given that the number of Whiteheadian actual entities and of individual strings within string theory are beyond reckoning at any given moment, could they be two ways to describe the same non-verifiable foundational reality? For example, if one could establish that the "superject" or objective pattern of self- constitution of an actual entity vibrates at a specific frequency, its affinity with the individual strings of string theory would be striking. Likewise, if one were to claim that the size and complexity of Whiteheadian 'societies" require different space-time parameters for the dynamic interrelationship of constituent actual entities, would that at least partially account for the assumption of 10 or even 26 instead of just 3 dimensions within string theory? The overall conclusion of this article is that, if a suitably revised understanding of Whiteheadian metaphysics were seen as compatible with the philosophical implications of string theory, their combination into a single world view would strengthen the plausibility of both schemes taken separately. Key words: actual entities, subject/superjects, vibrating strings, structured fields of activity, multi-dimensional physical reality.

Objective: Safety issues in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important, especially in fetal MRI. However, since basic data with respect of the effective exposure time in fetal MRI are not available, this study aimed to determine the actual imaging time during a fetal MRI study. Methods: 100 fetal MRI studies of singleton pregnancies performed on a 1.5 T system were analysed with respect to study duration (from starting the survey scan until the end of study), the number of sequences acquired, and the actual imaging time, which was calculated by adding up scan time of each sequence. Furthermore, each sequence type was analysed regarding the number of acquisitions, specific absorption rates (SAR), and duration. Results: Mean study duration was 34.6 min (range: 14–58 min; standard deviation (SD): 9.7 min), the average number of sequences acquired was 26.6 (range: 11–44, SD: 6.6). Actual scan time averaged 11.4 min (range: 4–19 min, SD: 4.0 min). Ultrafast T2-weighted and steady-state free-precession sequences accounted for 62.3% of actual scan time, and were distributed over the whole duration of the study. Conclusion: Actual imaging time only accounts for 33% of total study time and is not continuous. The remaining time is consumed by the preparation phases of the scanner, and is spent with planning sequences and the eventual repositioning of the coil and/or pregnant woman. These data may help to more accurately estimate the exposure to radiofrequency deposition and noise during fetal MRI studies.

The Netherlands, Oregon and Switzerland are the only areas in the world where assistance in dying has legally been practised in recent years. This article provides a detailed comparison of the history of the origins, legislation, monitoring systems and the extent of assistance in dying in these three places. It shows that the actual practice in Switzerland which, unlike Oregon, also allows assistance in suicide by means of infusions or gastric tubes, can today be technically quite similar to ...

Market issues, environmental impact, and technology issues related to the Solar Central Receiver concept are addressed. The rationale for selection of the preferred configuration and working fluid are presented as the result of a joint utility-industry analysis. A $30 million conversion of Solar One to an external molten salt receiver would provide the intermediate step to a commercial demonstration plant. The first plant in this series could produce electricity at 11.2 cents/kWhr and the seventh at 8.2 cents/kWhr, completely competitive with projected costs of new utility plants in 1992

This book demonstrates how to design a wideband receiver operating in current mode, in which the noise and non-linearity are reduced, implemented in a low cost single chip, using standard CMOS technology. The authors present a solution to remove the transimpedance amplifier (TIA) block and connect directly the mixer’s output to a passive second-order continuous-time Σ∆ analog to digital converter (ADC), which operates in current-mode. These techniques enable the reduction of area, power consumption, and cost in modern CMOS receivers.

In a recent paper in Frontiers Cohen et al. (2012) asked “What does galvanic vestibular stimulation actually activate?” and concluded that galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) causes predominantly otolithic behavioural responses. In this Perspective paper we show that such a conclusion does not follow from the evidence. The evidence from neurophysiology is very clear: galvanic stimulation activates primary otolithic neurons as well as primary semicircular canal neurons (Kim and Curthoys,...

The issue of necessity of self-education of pupils is timely in modern conditions. One can’t find a sphere of human activity without a connection with moral and material values of whole society and separate individual. In connection with this the purpose of the study is examination of necessity of construction of pedagogical system actualizing self-education of a pupil. This system is specified by tendencies of humanization, differentiation, ecological compatibility of social processes, raise...

Taxonomy is a classification effort for establishment of learning/teaching operational objectives. There are some famous taxonomies, Bloom's being the most quoted. In spite of the fact that some researchers have tried to explain the position of elearning in already known taxonomies, this subject was not too much in the general attention. In the paper the authors intend to go deeply and to analyze the position of the new methodology-remote experiment-in the actual taxonomies. In addition they ...

: Where everyday injustice – occupational injustice – persists, health and social professionals have an ethical, moral and professional obligation to reduce injustice with and for destitute as well as privileged members of society. But can professionals actually enable occupational justice? This reflective paper takes readers on a journey toward optimistically responding maybe. The analytic approach is summarized in preparation for tracing when and how the awakening to occupational injustice ...

Changes in international business environment in the beginning of 90ties had infl uenced marketing strategies of many companies. The main objective of the article is to analyze actual trends and their infl uence on international business activities. The analysis of the main types of international business strategies is made in the introductory part. The process of the segmentation, targeting and positioning is following. International brand management, the third part of the article, focus on ...

Directional sound receivers are useful for locating sound sources, and they can also partly compensate for the signal degradations caused by noise and reverberations. Ears may become inherently directional if sound can reach both surfaces of the eardrum. Attempts to understand the physics of such...

A medium-size Beacon Receiving System for reception and processing of the B1 (20 GHz) and B2 (30 GHz) beacons from Olympus has been developed. Integration of B1 and B2 receiving equipment into one system using one antenna and a common computer for control and data processing provides the advantages of a compact configuration and synchronization of the two receiver chains. Range for co-polar signal attenuation meaurement is about 30 dB for both beacons, increasing to 40 dB for B2 if the receivers are synchronized to B1. The accuracy is better than 0.5 dB. Cross-polarization discriminations of the order of 10 to 30 dB may be determined with an accuracy of 1 to 2 dB. A number of radiometers for complementary measurements of atmospheric attenuation of 13 to 30 GHz has also been constructed. A small multi-frequency system for operation around 22 GHz and 31 GHz is presently under development.

In this paper,baaed on analyses of the Chinese Area Positioning System (CAPS) satellite (GEO satellite) resources and signal properties,the signal power at the port of the receiver antenna is estimated,and the implementation projects are presented for a switching band C to band L CAPS C/A code receiver integrated with GPS receiver suite and for a CAPS dual frequency P code receiver.A microstrip receiving antenna is designed with high sensitivity and wide beam orientation,the RF front end of the C/A code and P code receivers,and a processor is designed for the navigation baseband.A single frequency CAPS C/A code receiver and a CAPS dual frequency P code receiver are built at the same time.A software process flow is provided,and research on relatively key techniques is also conducted,such as signal searching,code loop and carrier loop algorithms,a height assistant algorithm,a dual frequency difference speed measurement technique,a speed measurement technique using a single frequency source with frequency assistance,and a CAPS time correcting algorithm,according to the design frame of the receiver hardware.Research results show that the static plane positioning accuracy of the CAPS C/A code receiver is 20.5-24.6 m,height accuracy is 1.2-12.8 m,speed measurement accuracy is 0.13-0.3 m/s,dynamic plane positioning accuracy is 24.4 m,height accuracy is 3.0 m,and speed measurement accuracy is 0.24 m/s.In the case of C/A code,the timing accuracy is 200 ha,and it is also shown that the positioning accuracy of the CAPS precise code receiver (1σ) is 5 m from south to north,and 0.8 m from east to west.Finally,research on positioning accuracy is also conducted.

Pseudorandom PSK [1] enables parallel communication on the same carrier frequency and at the same time. We propose different signal processing methods to receive data modulated with pseudorandom PSK. This includes correlation with the carrier frequency which can be applied to signals in the kHz to MHz range and signal processing in the intermediate frequency where the correlation with the carrier frequency is performed analogous in the RF front end. We analyze the computation complexity for s...

The software of a commercially available digital radio receiver has been modified to make the receiver function as a two-channel low-noise phase meter. This phase meter is a prototype in the continuing development of a phase meter for a system in which radiofrequency (RF) signals in the two channels would be outputs of a spaceborne heterodyne laser interferometer for detecting gravitational waves. The frequencies of the signals could include a common Doppler-shift component of as much as 15 MHz. The phase meter is required to measure the relative phases of the signals in the two channels at a sampling rate of 10 Hz at a root power spectral density digital receiver. The input RF signal is first fed to the input terminal of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). To prevent aliasing errors in the ADC, the sampling rate must be at least twice the input signal frequency. The sampling rate of the ADC is governed by a sampling clock, which also drives a digital local oscillator (DLO), which is a direct digital frequency synthesizer. The DLO produces samples of sine and cosine signals at a programmed tuning frequency. The sine and cosine samples are mixed with (that is, multiplied by) the samples from the ADC, then low-pass filtered to obtain in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) signal components. A digital signal processor (DSP) computes the ratio between the Q and I components, computes the phase of the RF signal (relative to that of the DLO signal) as the arctangent of this ratio, and then averages successive such phase values over a time interval specified by the user.

In our modern age of remote sensing, wireless communication, and the nearly endless list of other antenna-based applications, complex problems require increasingly sophisticated solutions. Conventional antenna systems are no longer suited to high-noise or low-signal applications such as intrusion detection. Detailing highly effective approaches to non-Gaussian weak signal detection, Adaptive Antennas and Receivers provides an authoritative introduction to state-of-the-art research on the modeling, testing, and application of these technologies.Edited by innovative researcher and eminent expert

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Race data of each family member as a part of the demographic characteristics data of families receivingassistance under the State's Temporary Assistance for Needy...

Full Text Available In a recent paper in Frontiers Cohen et al. (2012 asked What does galvanic vestibular stimulation actually activate? and concluded that galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS causes predominantly otolithic behavioural responses. In this Perspective paper we show that such a conclusion does not follow from the evidence. The evidence from neurophysiology is very clear: galvanic stimulation activates primary otolithic neurons as well as primary semicircular canal neurons (Kim and Curthoys, 2004. Irregular neurons are activated at lower currents. The answer to what behaviour is activated depends on what is measured and how it is measured, including not just technical details, such as the frame rate of video, but the exact experimental context in which the measurement took place (visual fixation vs total darkness. Both canal and otolith dependent responses are activated by GVS.

We introduce and study the task of assisted coherence distillation. This task arises naturally in bipartite systems where both parties work together to generate the maximal possible coherence on one of the subsystems. Only incoherent operations are allowed on the target system, while general local quantum operations are permitted on the other; this is an operational paradigm that we call local quantum-incoherent operations and classical communication. We show that the asymptotic rate of assisted coherence distillation for pure states is equal to the coherence of assistance, an analog of the entanglement of assistance, whose properties we characterize. Our findings imply a novel interpretation of the von Neumann entropy: it quantifies the maximum amount of extra quantum coherence a system can gain when receivingassistance from a collaborative party. Our results are generalized to coherence localization in a multipartite setting and possible applications are discussed.

We introduce and study the task of assisted coherence distillation. This task arises naturally in bipartite systems where both parties work together to generate the maximal possible coherence on one of the subsystems. Only incoherent operations are allowed on the target system, while general local quantum operations are permitted on the other; this is an operational paradigm that we call local quantum-incoherent operations and classical communication. We show that the asymptotic rate of assisted coherence distillation for pure states is equal to the coherence of assistance, an analog of the entanglement of assistance, whose properties we characterize. Our findings imply a novel interpretation of the von Neumann entropy: it quantifies the maximum amount of extra quantum coherence a system can gain when receivingassistance from a collaborative party. Our results are generalized to coherence localization in a multipartite setting and possible applications are discussed. PMID:26943512

Controlled Mechanical Ventilation may be essential in the setting of severe respiratory failure but consequences to the patient including increased use of sedation and neuromuscular blockade may contribute to delirium, atelectasis, and diaphragm dysfunction. Assisted ventilation allows spontaneous breathing activity to restore physiological displacement of the diaphragm and recruit better perfused lung regions. Pressure Support Ventilation is the most frequently used mode of assisted mechanical ventilation. However, this mode continues to provide a monotonous pattern of support for respiration which is normally a dynamic process. Noisy Pressure Support Ventilation where tidal volume is varied randomly by the ventilator may improve ventilation and perfusion matching but the degree of support is still determined by the ventilator. Two more recent modes of ventilation, Proportional Assist Ventilation and Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA), allow patient determination of the pattern and depth of ventilation. Proposed advantages of Proportional Assist Ventilation and NAVA include decrease in patient ventilator asynchrony and improved adaptation of ventilator support to changing patient demand. Work of breathing can be normalized with these modes as well. To date, however, a clear pattern of clinical benefit has not been demonstrated. Existing challenges for both of the newer assist modes include monitoring patients with dynamic hyperinflation (auto-positive end expiratory pressure), obstructive lung disease, and air leaks in the ventilator system. NAVA is dependent on consistent transduction of diaphragm activity by an electrode system placed in the esophagus. Longevity of effective support with this technique is unclear. PMID:25501776

One of the important factors in The Earned Value Concept (EVC) or The Earned Value Management (EVM) is the Actual Cost Work Performance (ACWP). A Cost Variant (CV) is further produced from the ratio between ACWP and Budget Cost Work Performance (BCWP). This will assist in determining the condition of the project at the time of evaluation, its loss and profit and the forecast of expenses that will incurred to complete the project.

Remote sensing can assist in improving the estimation of the geographical distribution of evapotranspiration, and consequently water demand in large cultivated areas for irrigation purposes and sustainable water resources management. In the direction of these objectives, the daily actual evapotranspiration was calculated in this study during the summer season of 2001 over the Thessaly plain in Greece, a wide irrigated area of great agricultural importance. Three different methods were adapted...

The performance of an engine whose basic design parameters are known can be predicted with the assistance of simulation programs into the less time, cost and near value of actual. However, inadequate areas of the current model can guide future research because the effects of design variables on engine performance can be determined before. In this study, thermodynamic cycle and performance analyses were simulated for various engine speeds (1800, 2400 ve 3600 1/min) and various excess air coef...

A plurality of heat pipes in a shell receive concentrated solar energy and transfer the energy to a heat activated system. To provide for even distribution of the energy despite uneven impingement of solar energy on the heat pipes, absence of solar energy at times, or failure of one or more of the heat pipes, energy storage means are disposed on the heat pipes which extend through a heat pipe thermal coupling means into the heat activated device. To enhance energy transfer to the heat activated device, the heat pipe coupling cavity means may be provided with extensions into the device. For use with a Stirling engine having passages for working gas, heat transfer members may be positioned to contact the gas and the heat pipes. The shell may be divided into sections by transverse walls. To prevent cavity working fluid from collecting in the extensions, a porous body is positioned in the cavity.

The following is a synopsis of the major achievements attributed to the operation of the Weatherization Assistance Program Technical Assistance Center (WAPTAC) by the National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP). During the past five years, the WAPTAC has developed into the premier source for information related to operating the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) at the state and local levels. The services provide through WAPTAC include both virtual technical support as well as hands-on training and instruction in classroom and in the field. The WAPTAC achieved several important milestones during its operation including the establishment of a national Weatherization Day now celebrated in most states, the implementation of a comprehensive Public Information Campaign (PIC) to raise the awareness of the Program among policy makers and the public, the training of more than 150 new state managers and staff as they assume their duties in state offices around the country, and the creation and support of a major virtual information source on the Internet being accessed by thousands of staff each month. The Weatherization Assistance Program Technical Assistance Center serves the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program as a valuable training and technical assistance resource for the network of 54 direct state grantees (50 states, District of Columbia and three Native American tribes) and the network of 900 local subgrantees (comprised of community action agencies, units of local government, and other non-profit organizations). The services provided through WAPTAC focus on standardizing and improving the daily management of the WAP. Staff continually identify policies changes and best practices to help the network improve its effectiveness and enhance the benefits of the Program for the customers who receive service and the federal and private investors. The operations of WAPTAC are separated into

Radioecological monitoring issues and radiation safety are actual in the Republic of Moldova. Japan events show us the possibility of natural disasters. Republic of Moldova is surrounded by 8 NPPs, the closest being at the distance of 160 km. Moldovas territory is in seismic zone where underground earthquake shocks reaches 7 points or more. Thatis why radiation safety and radioecological monitoring is actual in our republic. Traces of Chernobyl were left in Moldovas soils. The fallouts of radio nuclides formed on the soil surfaces in the Republic of Moldova following the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station Accident have been continuously affected by attacks of both natural and technicaly generated agents since the time of fallout. During the past decade a shift in emphasis has taken place regarding the need for more complete and accurate information on reservoir sedimentation. Classical sedimentation surveys involve repeated field measurement and, therefore, this is probably the most costly and time consuming method. The application of radio nuclides, particularly Cs 137, for water erosion and sedimentation studies in Republic of Moldova has not been attempted so far. This paper presents the results obtained on reservoir sedimentation rates in an area subjected to wide range in land degradation dy sheet-rill erosion. The profil characteristics support the assumption that in most undisturbed sites there is a sharp decline in Cs 137 activity with increasing dept. Such an asymmetrical distribution of the Cs 137 would suggest a standard pattern in the form of a cantilever. If the validity of this assamption is accepted it is possible to define two major types of Cs 137 cantilever distribution: shallow and deep buried cantilever. The main criterion in classifying these pattents lies generally in the shape of Cs 137 depth profile and particularly in burial magnitude of Cs 137 peak derived from Chernobyl. Hills area has been impacted by greatest sendimentation. This regional

Full Text Available A significant portion in nowadays architecture uses the resistant structures as a fundamental element conveying expression to a building. Resistant structures usually designed, calculated and built by engineers are in some occasions -those that draw our attention now- designed by architects who stress the plastic dimension. Sometimes architects have just tried to soften the elementality of the resistance per se.
To abandon the quantitative element to get centered in the qualitative and expressive is a leitmotiv in the architectural proceedings that has been brilliantly fruitful in many an occasion -notice Frei Otto's work among others- but that, in other cases, damages the understanding of the resistant aspect by excessively priorizing the structure appearance upon the structure itself.
This article makes a critical account of a series of structures in recent buildings, classified by resistance typologies, flat or spatial trusses, frames, domes, hanging and distensible roofs, tensigrity structures, etc., preceded by a retrospect on how resistance has been traditionally understood.

This paper describes the current activities of GPS/GNSS Software receiver development at DTU Space. GNSS Software receivers have received a great deal of attention in the last two decades and numerous implementations have already been presented. DTU Space has just recently started development of ...... our own GNSS software-receiver targeted for mini UAV applications, and we will in in this paper present our current progress and briefly discuss the benefits of Software Receivers in relation to our research interests....

Five years have passed since the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Stations on 11 March 2011. Here we refer to reports from international organisations as sources of predicted values obtained from environmental monitoring and dose estimation models, and reports from various institutes in Japan are used as sources of individual actual values. The World Health Organization, based on information available up to 11 September 2011 (and published in 2012), reported that characteristic effective doses in the first year after the accident, to all age groups, were estimated to be in the 10-50 mSv dose band in example locations in evacuation areas. Estimated characteristic thyroid doses to infants in Namie Town were within the 100-200 mSv dose band. A report from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation published in 2014 shows that the effective dose received by adults in evacuation areas during the first year after the accident was 1.1-13 mSv. The absorbed dose to the thyroid in evacuated settlements was 7.2-35 mSv in adults and 15-83 mSv in 1-year-old infants. Individual external radiation exposure in the initial 4 months after the accident, estimated by superimposing individual behaviour data on to a daily dose rate map, was less than 3 mSv in 93.9% of residents (maximum 15 mSv) in evacuation areas. Actual individual thyroid equivalent doses were less than 15 mSv in 98.8% of children (maximum 25 mSv) in evacuation areas. When uncertainty exists in dose estimation models, it may be sensible to err on the side of caution, and final estimated doses are often much greater than actual radiation doses. However, overestimation of the dose at the time of an accident has a great influence on the psychology of residents. More than 100 000 residents have not returned to the evacuation areas 5 years after the Fukushima accident because of the social and mental effects during the initial period of the disaster. Estimates of

Another CERN apprentice has received an award for the quality of his work. Stéphane Küng (centre), at the UIG ceremony last November, presided over by Geneva State Councillor Pierre-François Unger, Head of the Department of Economics and Health. Electronics technician Stéphane Küng was honoured in November by the Social Foundation of the Union Industrielle Genevoise (UIG) as one of Geneva’s eight best apprentices in the field of mechatronics. The 20-year-old Genevan obtained his Federal apprentice’s certificate (Certificat fédéral de capacité - CFC) in June 2007, achieving excellent marks in his written tests at the Centre d’Enseignement Professionnel Technique et Artisanal (CEPTA). Like more than 200 youngsters before him, Stéphane Küng spent part of his four-year sandwich course working at CERN, where he followed many practical training courses and gained valuable hands-on experience in various technical groups and labs. "It’ always very gr...

This fact sheet provides information on the Tribes selected to receiveassistance from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy 2013 Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program, which provides technical expertise to support the development of next-generation energy projects on tribal lands.

... the facility provide a written statement of the philosophy of care? Visit each facility more than once, ... well as nursing homes. Contact the local Better Business Bureau to see if that agency has received ...

We applied mobile computing to community support and explored mobile computing with a large number of terminals. This article reports on the Second International Conference on Multiagent Systems (ICMAS'96) Mobile Assistant Project that was conducted at an actual international conference for multiagent systems using 100 personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cellular telephones. We supported three types of service: (1) communication services such as e-mail and net news; (2) information service...

Information about how success and gender affect students' views of ideal and actual classroom role behavior can help both researchers and teachers better understand classroom components such as achievement and curriculum. A 20-item double Q sort was used to measure differences in perceptions of high school science students according to letter grades and gender. Individual Q sort item rankings of 160 students were tested for significant differences according to letter grade received; item ratings were compared according to gender for 215 students. Differences in perception according to success were found for both ideal and actual behavior; 8 and 5 items, respectively, out of each 20-item sort were found to be significant at the p = < 0.05 level. No such overall patterns of difference in view were found between boys and girls, although three ideal student items and one actual self-report item were found to be significantly different at the p = < 0.05 level.

Prayer is one of the fundamental concepts in the Qur'an that Allah's appeal to people. The concept of actual prayer, which means the effort spent by people before and during prayer, is not used in the Qur'an. However, in a number of verses about prayer, the need of actual prayer is emphasized and actual prayers of various prophets take place.The aim of this study is presenting the fact of actual prayer and demonstrating the importance given to the actual prayer in the Qur’an. In the introduct...

Development of advanced receiver technology for solar thermal receivers designed for electric power generation or for industrial applications, such as fuels and chemical production or industrial process heat, is described. The development of this technology is focused on receivers that operate from 1000 F to 3000 F and above. Development strategy is mapped in terms of application requirements, and the related system and technical requirements. Receiver performance requirements and current development efforts are covered for five classes of receiver applications: high temperature, advanced Brayton, Stirling, and Rankine cycle engines, and fuels and chemicals.

Reflux heat-pipe and pool-boiler receivers are being developed to improve upon the performance and life of directly-illuminated tube receiver technology used in previous successful demonstrations of dish-Stirling systems. The design of a reflux receiver involves engineering tradeoffs. In this paper, on-sun performance measurements of the Sandia pool-boiler receiver are compared with results from the reflux receiver thermal analysis model, AEETES. Flux and performance implications of various design options are analyzed and discussed.

This paper reports that providing energy assistance to developing countries remains a relatively low priority of the Agency for International Development. AID is helping some developing countries meet their energy needs, but this assistance varies substantially because of the agency's decentralized structure. Most AID energy funding has gone to a handful of countries-primarily Egypt and Pakistan. With limited funding in most other countries, AID concentrates on providing technical expertise and promoting energy policy reforms that will encourage both energy efficiency and leverage investment by the private sector and other donors. Although a 1989 congressional directive to pursue a global warming initiative has had a marginal impact on the agency's energy programming, many AID energy programs, including those directed at energy conservation, help address global warming concerns

An S-band radio frequency interference (RFI) receiver to analyze and identify sources of RFI problems in the Deep Space Network DSN tracking stations is described. The RFI receiver is a constant gain, double conversion, open loop receiver with dual sine/cosine channel outputs, providing a total of 20 MHZ monitoring capability. This receiver is computer controlled using a MODCOMP II miniprocessor. The RFI receiver has been designed to operate at a 150 Kelvin system noise temperature accomplished by cascading two low noise field effect transistor (FET) amplifiers for the receiver front-end. The first stage low noise FET amplifier is mounted at the feed horn to minimize any cable losses to achieve a lower system noise temperature. The receiver is tunable over the frequency range of 2150 to 2450 MHz in both sine/cosine output channels with a resolution of 100 kHz.

Based on the thrombolytic predictive instrument (TPI), we sought to create electrocardiographically based, real-time decision support to immediate identification of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) likely to benefit from primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with thrombolysis. Using data from the Atlantic Cardiovascular Patient Outcomes Research Team (C-PORT) Trial, we tested a mathematical model predicting mortality in patients with STEMI if treated with PCI and if treated with thrombolytic therapy. We adapted the model for incorporation into computerized electrocardiograms as a PCI-TPI. For patients with STEMI in the C-PORT Trial, the model yielded unbiased mortality predictions: for those receiving thrombolysis, it predicted 6.3% mortality and actual mortality was 6.0% (95% confidence interval 3.0 to 10.6); for those receiving PCI, it predicted 4.5% mortality and actual mortality was 3.9% (95% confidence interval 1.4 to 8.2). Excellent discrimination was reflected by its receiver operating characteristic curve area of 0.86. According to the model, and validated by actual trial outcomes, 1/3 of subjects accounted for all the mortality benefit from PCI. In conclusion, for STEMI, the PCI-TPI accurately predicts mortality for treatment with PCI and with thrombolytic therapy. Incorporated into electrocardiogram, it may assist targeting PCI to those who benefit most and identifying patients before hospitalization for whom a receiving hospital should prepare for PCI. PMID:18328842

The White House announced today that Maura Borrego, an assistant professor in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering's Department of Engineering Education received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for the development of methods that will better prepare faculty and graduate students for interdisciplinary research.

In order to reduce the labor intensity and task difficulty of dam risk analysis and to meet the actual requirement of dam risk analysis,it is necessary to establish a dam risk assistant analysis system.The program structure and the implementation ways of the dam risk assistant analysis system are analyzed,and a procedural framework with "three-tier and multi-database" structure and "level structure" is established.The concept of dam risk assessment system modular development is proposed and the coupled mode of function module and data is improved.Finally,the dam risk assistant analysis system is developed using Delphi visual programming language.

In a Solar Central Internal Film Receiver, the heat absorbing fluid (a molten nitrate salt) flows in a thin film down over the non illuminated side of an absorber panel. Since the molten salt working fluid is not contained in complicated tube manifolds, the receiver design is simples than a conventional tube type-receiver resulting in a lower cost and a more reliable receiver. The Internal Film Receiver can be considered as an alternative to the Direct Absorption Receiver, in the event that the current problems of the last one can not be solved. It also describes here the test facility which will be used for its solar test, and the test plans foreseen. (Author) 17 refs

The author examines the issue of international migration from the standpoint of receiving countries. He attempts "to understand how and why migrant-receiving countries respond as they do, and to suggest some of the new issues in international migration that arise in a world in which the supply of would-be migrants and refugees is now greater than receiving countries are willing to accept." PMID:12283227

Social isolation has got to be one of the greatest losses in schizophrenia. For many authors, people with schizophrenia can have no friends, no spouse, and sometimes no family. Two thirds of patients with schizophrenia return to their parents' house after discharge from a hospital for the first psychosi episode. Family members generally receive very little education as to what they can expect. They may not know the importance of medication compliance. Family members are the primary victims of violence from psychotic individuals, usually their own son or daughter, and most families cannot believe their own son or daughter would be capable of such a thing. Although families are usually the main care givers at the beginning of schizophrenia they often find their experience very frustrating for a number of reasons, and relationships suffer. Family education and support have been shown to improve outcomes considerably and family education is the second strongest factor in relapse prevention. Without education and good relapse prevention families often burst out. Most of the homeless mentally ill in downtown city cores have lost their family relationships. It is not a reflection on their families so much as the lack of adequate treatment and support. The families tried and tried and lost their ill relative. A patient writes: "My father lives just outside of Monaco. My mother developed Alzheimer's a couple of years ago or so and with a series of mild strokes died recently. I haven't seen either of them very much in the last fifteen years. I have a sister, Nicole, who also lives in Paris. I lost those relationships to some degree over the years. I am rebuilding them now. Enter the professional friend, the case manager, usually in cases where the individual is quite disabled by schizophrenia and/or at considerable risk of relapse, and usually when the individual has lost their family relationships to some degree. I had a case manager for several years and always looked

This study investigates attitudes and practices of community pharmacists with respect to physician-assisted death. Between 15 February and 15 April 2002, we sent anonymous mail questionnaires to 660 community pharmacists in the eastern province of Flanders, Belgium. The response rate was 54% (n = 359). Most of the pharmacists who responded felt that patients have the right to end their own life (73%), and that under certain conditions physicians may assist the patient in dying (euthanasia: 84%; physician-assisted suicide: 61%). Under the prevailing restrictive legislation, a quarter of the pharmacists were willing to dispense lethal drugs for euthanasia versus 86% if it were legalized, but only after being well informed by the physician. The respondents-favour guidelines for pharmacists drafted by their own professional organizations (95%), and enforced by legislation (90%) to ensure careful end-of-life practice. Over the last two years, 7.3% of the responding pharmacists have received a medical prescription for lethal drugs and 6.4% have actually dispensed them. So we can conclude that community pharmacists in East Flanders were not adverse to physician-assisted death, but their cooperation in dispensing lethal drugs was conditional on clinical information about the specific case and on protection by laws and professional guidelines. PMID:15810755

The use of information plays an important role in the choice of transfer prices (TP). We discuss the information provision of two centralized mechanisms, namely, actual-cost and standard-cost based TP. Actual cost based TP use all available cost information whereas standard cost based TP only reflect expected cost. We analyze the impact of either regime on the incentives of two divisions that make upfront investments and - later - trade an intermediate good. Actual cost based TP allow for a f...

This study is meant to examine the relationships of several antecedents of actual purchase of herbal product in Malaysia. Actual purchase is considered to have a vital link to a business success. The study identified eight antecedents of consumer actual purchase such as intention, attitude, social influence, product safety and culture belief. A total of 473 respondents (about 82%) completed and returned the questionnaire. A seven point Likert scale was used to measure responses. The data were...

Else of solar energy as substitute for conventional fuels at a competitive cost requires efficient conversion from solar radiation to usable forms of energy. In solar thermal or thermochemical applications, high efficiency usually re- quires high temperature and high concentration of incoming radiation. The main form of energy loss from high temperature solar central receivers is thermal emission ('re radiation'), at an effective temperature close to the maximum receiver temperature. This loss is reduced if the aperture is divided into segments, most of which are maintained at lower temperatures. A two-stage partitioned receiver demonstrating this concept is under construction at the Weizman Solar Tower. The high-temperature stage is the DIAPR (Directly Irradiated Annular Pressurized Receiver). The low-temperature stage is made of tubular cavity receivers of simpler design. Preliminary optical and thermal design of the partitioned receiver is presented. For the design exit temperature of 1500 K, the aperture size of the partitioned receiver is about 60% of the equivalent single-stage receiver, indicating a significant increase of conversion efficiency. The exit temperature of the low-temperature stage is around 1100 K, allowing simpler design and inexpensive construction. (authors)

System co-optimization of the analog receiver front end circuit and the digital baseband processing could enable receiver designs with lower power budgets, as the signal processing in the digital receiver is asymmetric across circuit topologies. This paper presents a simulation tool that could assist with such co-optimized designs. TrACS (Transceiver Architecture and Channel Simulator) is an RF/DSP co-simulator, capable of providing an application-specific system-level perspective to receiver...

In Dreiser’s novel Sister Carrie, the heroine Carrie’s self-actualizing natures are reflected in her self-actualization ef-fort. Those natures include the acceptance of reality and potential to be actress, etc., which play the crucial role of her star jour-ney and self-actualizing effort. Therefore, every woman should have the spiritual spirit;and, at the same time, pursue nobler spiri-tual life.

Compact, highly customizable digital receivers are being developed for the system described in 'Radar Interferometer for Topographic Mapping of Glaciers and Ice Sheets' (NPO-43962), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 7 (August 2007), page 72. The receivers are required to operate in unison, sampling radar returns received by the antenna elements in a digital beam-forming (DBF) mode. The design of these receivers could also be adapted to commercial radar systems. At the time of reporting the information for this article, there were no commercially available digital receivers capable of satisfying all of the operational requirements and compact enough to be mounted directly on the antenna elements. A provided figure depicts the overall system of which the digital receivers are parts. Each digital receiver includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a demultiplexer (DMUX), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The ADC effects 10-bit band-pass sampling of input signals having frequencies up to 3.5 GHz. The input samples are demultiplexed at a user-selectable rate of 1:2 or 1:4, then buffered in part of the FPGA that functions as a first-in/first-out (FIFO) memory. Another part of the FPGA serves as a controller for the ADC, DMUX, and FIFO memory and as an interface between (1) the rest of the receiver and (2) a front-panel data port (FPDP) bus, which is an industry-standard parallel data bus that has a high data-rate capability and multichannel configuration suitable for DBF. Still other parts of the FPGA in each receiver perform signal-processing functions. The digital receivers can be configured to operate in a stand-alone mode, or in a multichannel mode as needed for DBF. The customizability of the receiver makes it applicable to a broad range of system architectures. The capability for operation of receivers in either a stand-alone or a DBF mode enables the use of the receivers in an unprecedentedly wide variety of radar systems.

As Facebook has come to dominate the social networking site arena, more libraries have created their own library pages on Facebook to create library awareness and to function as a marketing tool. This paper examines reported versus actual use of Facebook in libraries to identify discrepancies between intended goals and actual use. The results of a…

This article investigates the concept of self-actualization introduced by Abraham Maslow (1954). A summary of Maslow's Needs Hierarchy, along with a description of the characteristics of the self-actualized person, is presented. An analysis of humanistic education reveals it has much to offer as a means of promoting the principles of…

The writings of Abraham Maslow are analyzed to determine the meaning of the psychological term "self-actualization." After pointing out that self-actualization is a rare quality and that it has little to do with formal education, the author concludes that the concept has little practical relevance for teacher education. (PP)

The purpose of this study was to provide process data for school counselors, administrators, and the public, regarding school counselors' actual roles within the guidance counselor preferred job duties and actual job duties. In addition, factors including National Certification or no National Certification, years of counseling experience, and…

Child-centered play therapists are often confronted with the challenge of receiving gifts from clients. This article highlights recommended strategies when faced with gift receiving, exemplified by actual ethical dilemmas encountered by child-centered play therapists. Ethical and therapeutic considerations of therapist gift giving to child clients…

Social networking sites such as Facebook provide a new way to seek and receive social support, a factor widely recognized as important for one's health. However, few studies have used actual conversations from social networking sites to study social support for health related matters. We studied 3,899 Facebook users, among a sample of 33,326 monitored adults, who initiated a conversation that referred to surgery on their Facebook Wall during a six-month period to explore predictors of social ...

David G. Schmale III of Blacksburg, Va., assistant professor of plant pathology, physiology, and weed science in Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, received the 2010 Sporn Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Subjects.

Full Text Available Dans une récente réédition de l’un de ses ouvrages, Michel Messu revient sur l’enquête qu’il avait menée au cours des années 1980 auprès des assistés sociaux et prolonge son analyse par une réflexion originale sur les évolutions de la protection sociale actuellement en cours dans la France du xxie siècle, que l’on pourrait résumer ainsi : la protection sociale se présenterait désormais sous le visage d’une d’assurance d’assistance, garantissant à chaque citoyen une protection qu’il recevra tantôt sous forme d’assurance, tantôt sous forme d’assistance, souvent dans une combinatoire des deux. Cette thèse permet d’insister sur les glissements de registre, voire de régime, d’une protection sociale devenant de plus en plus une protection par intervention sur autrui. Mais, pour l’auteur, elle semble néanmoins pécher par un excès de banalisation du phénomène. S’appuyant sur ses propres analyses, celui-ci propose une vision assez différente de la protection afin d’alimenter le débat.State aid is not social insurance. The issues of an anthropological mutation at the centre of social policiesIn a recent new edition of one of his works, Michel Messu returns to the research he undertook during the 1980s on individuals receiving state aids in order to extend his analysis by an original reflection on the evolution of social protection in 21st century France. His idea can be summarized as follows: social protection would appear from now on as a social insurance for state aid, guaranteeing for each citizen a protection received either as a form of social insurance or as a state aid, often as a combination of the two. This argument allows one to underline the sliding between registers, or even between regimes, of a social protection system becoming more and more that of an intervention exercised on those who receive it. However, for the author, this argument does not go further than the surface of the

... education awards. (b) Calculation of the value of an education award. For the purposes of this section, the value of an education award is equal to the actual amount of the education award received divided by the... value of awards received is equal to the sum of: (1) The value of each education award received as...

A full-size, solar dynamic heat receiver was designed to meet the requirements specified for electrical power modules on the U.S. Space Station, Freedom. The heat receiver supplies thermal energy to power a heat engine in a closed Brayton cycle using a mixture of helium-xenon gas as the working fluid. The electrical power output of the engine, 25 kW, requires a 100 kW thermal input throughout a 90 minute orbit, including when the spacecraft is eclipsed for up to 36 minutes from the sun. The heat receiver employs an integral thermal energy storage system utilizing the latent heat available through the phase change of a high-temperature salt mixture. A near eutectic mixture of lithium fluoride and calcium difluoride is used as the phase change material. The salt is contained within a felt metal matrix which enhances heat transfer and controls the salt void distribution during solidification. Fabrication of the receiver is complete and it was delivered to NASA for verification testing in a simulated low-Earth-orbit environment. This document reviews the receiver design and describes its fabrication history. The major elements required to operate the receiver during testing are also described.

Physician-assisted death includes both euthanasia and assistance in suicide. The CMA urges its members to adhere to the principles of palliative care. It does not support euthanasia and assisted suicide. The following policy summary includes definitions of euthanasia and assisted suicide, background information, basic ethical principles and physician concerns about legalization of physician-assisted death.

High nitrate bearing alkaline waste solution of reprocessing plant origin was decontaminated by adopting an ion exchange followed by a chemical treatment based process. The resulting effluent was then subjected to nitrate removal by biodenitrification. A flow through bioreactor provided with stainless steel modules as support for biomass growth was setup and the biomass in reactor was acclimatized to a NaNO3 solution of concentration level comparable to actual effluents. The bioreactor was used for denitrification of the actual effluent in continuous mode and complete denitrification of the actual reprocessing waste solution containing 17,500 ppm of nitrate has been successfully demonstrated. (author)

Full Text Available The aim of the present study is to find out the level of self-actualization of higher secondary students. Selfactualization has been variously thought of a need, a cognitive style, trait of a life process etc. It may either cover one or more such components. Normative survey method has been used and by using simple random sampling technique 652 students were selected from Cuddalore district educational district, Tamilnadu, India. Gathered data was analyzed by using the statistical techniques. The results show that the level of self-actualization is average and there is significant difference in the self-actualization scores based on locality of school and parental income.

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to ascertain if there is a relationship between social support and the nutritional status of patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer. The data collection instruments used included the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (NSSQ), the Personal Characteristics Form, the abbreviated Health History, the Flow Sheet for Nutritional Data, and the Interview Schedule. For the analysis of data descriptive statistics were utilized to provide a profile of subjects, and correlational statistics were used to ascertain if there were relationships among the indicators of nutritional status and the social support variables. A convenience sample was comprised of 50 cancer patients deemed curable by radiation therapy. Findings included significant decreases in anthropometric measurements and biochemical tests during therapy. Serial assessments of nutritional status, therefore, are recommended for all cancer patients during therapy in order to plan and implement strategies for meeting the self-care requisites for food and water. No statistically significant relationships were found between the social support variables as measured by the NSSQ and the indicators of nutritional status. This suggests that nurses can assist patients by fostering support from actual and potential nutritional confidants

An empirical study of the relationship between market concentration and bank performance in rural markets, examining both actual and potential competition and controlling for risk, market share, and simultaneity.

Full Text Available This study is meant to examine the relationships of several antecedents of actual purchase of herbal product in Malaysia. Actual purchase is considered to have a vital link to a business success. The study identified eight antecedents of consumer actual purchase such as intention, attitude, social influence, product safety and culture belief. A total of 473 respondents (about 82% completed and returned the questionnaire. A seven point Likert scale was used to measure responses. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS path modeling. The path coefficient results supported the direct influence of intention, attitude, social influence and product safety on actual buying. Moreover, the findings reveal that attitude, social influence, product safety, and culture belief also influenced buying intention.

Actual vapor pressure (VP) is an important parameter that is used in many evapotranspiration equations. However, vapor pressure is difficult to measure accurately. In the humid climate, the actual vapor pressure can be derived from minimum air temperature. The objectives of this study were: first, to estimate errors that can arise if VP data are not available and have to be estimated; second, to compare the Priestley-Taylor ET0 values computed under various levels of VP data availability; and...

This study tested the hypotheses that perceived risk of victimization had a stronger effect than actual exposure to victimization risk on handgun ownership and that this relationship was stronger for women than men. Perceived and actual risks of victimization have been discussed with respect to handgun ownership, but a general consensus in the literature was lacking and recent empirical research was scarce. Crime rates and respondentsâ social characteristics were used as proxy measures for ...

Background: Turnover of nursing staff is a major challenge for healthcare settings and for healthcare in general, urging the need to improve retention. Aim: The aim was to explore the prospective relations between personal and psychosocial work-related factors and actual turnover among Belgian healthcare workers. Methods: Predictors of actual turnover were assessed using the longitudinal Belgian data from the Nurses Early Exit Study (NEXT). Two self-administered questionnaires with a time...

Being a popular way of traveling, charter tourism has received an often derogatory image. This may be related to dominating societal ideals promoting self-actualization and individual exploration. However, not much is known about the development of motivations and behaviors among charter tourists....... By use of ethnographic fieldwork methodology, this exploratory study investigated a group of Danish charter tourists traveling to Gran Canaria. Results show that the charter tourists were active in navigating between central dichotomies posed by the consumption of a mass product in an individualized...

A novel technique and structure that maximizes the extraction of information from reference pulses for UWB-TR receivers is introduced. The scheme efficiently processes an incoming signal to suppress different types of UWB as well as non-UWB interference prior to signal detection. Such a method and system adds a feedback loop mechanism to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of reference pulses in a conventional TR receiver. Moreover, sampling the second order statistical function such as, for example, the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the received signal and matching it to the ACF samples of the original pulses for each transmitted bit provides a more robust UWB communications method and system in the presence of channel distortions.

This paper shows the solution of time stamp software defined receiver integration into low cost com-mercial devices. The receiver is based on a general pur-pose processor and its analog to digital converter. The amplified signal from a narrow-band antenna is connected to the converter and no complicated filtration has to be used. All signal processing is digitally provided by the processor. During signal reception, the processor stays available for its main tasks and signal processing con-sum...

Full Text Available This paper shows the solution of time stamp software defined receiver integration into low cost com-mercial devices. The receiver is based on a general pur-pose processor and its analog to digital converter. The amplified signal from a narrow-band antenna is connected to the converter and no complicated filtration has to be used. All signal processing is digitally provided by the processor. During signal reception, the processor stays available for its main tasks and signal processing con-sumes only a small part of its computational power.

An RFID backscatter interrogator for transmitting data to an RFID tag, generating a carrier for the tag, and receiving data from the tag modulated onto the carrier, the interrogator including a single grounded-coplanar wave-guide circuit board and at least one surface mount integrated circuit supported by the circuit board.

In recent years, increasing numbers of healthcare providers have converted their accounts receivable into cash through a process called securitization. This practice has gained popularity because it provides a means to raise capital necessary to healthcare organizations. Although securitization transactions can be complex, they may provide increased financial flexibility to providers as they prepare for continuing change in the healthcare industry. PMID:10145096

Humans are social animals, constantly engaged with other people. The importance of social thought and action is hard to overstate. However, is social information so important that it actually determines which stimuli are promoted to conscious experience and which stimuli are suppressed as invisible? To address this question, we used a binocular rivalry paradigm, in which the two eyes receive different action stimuli. In two experiments we measured the conscious percept of rival actions and found that actions engaged in social interactions are granted preferential access to visual awareness over non-interactive actions. Lastly, an attentional task that presumably engaged the mentalizing system enhanced the priority assigned to social interactions in reaching conscious perception. We also found a positive correlation between human identification of interactive activity and the promotion of socially-relevant information to visual awareness. The present findings suggest that the visual system amplifies socially-relevant sensory information and actively promotes it to consciousness, thereby facilitating inferences about social interactions. PMID:27509028

In 1963 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a document, WP.35, dated 23 November 1963, based on information provided by a number of its Member States on the type of radiological assistance that they might be able to make available in the event of a radiation emergency in another country at the request of that country. The document was subsequently revised in 1968 and 1971 with the participation of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In 1979, an expanded questionnaire to ascertain what could be required by the State in the event of a major radiation accident, was sent jointly by these organizations with the participation of the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator (UNDRO), to all their Member States. The text of the expanded questionnaire is reproduced. The present document lists all the information, received up to mid 1980, that contains offers of assistance made by a State. It also lists information on the assistance that might be required by the State. In general, the replies have been reproduced in the form in which they were received, although a few changes in presentation have been introduced in the interest of brevity and clarity. Some countries have pointed out that their replies are necessarily of a general character and that the full extent of the assistance they would be capable of providing could be determined only after a specific request had been received. The information given in this document should therefore be regarded only as a guide to the type of radiological assistance that might be available and/or needed. Other available international assistance includes that provided by the Agency through the IAEA Radiation (Emergency) Assistance Procedures, by WHO through its system of Collaborating Centres on human radiation pathology, and by various States via regional or inter-countries' agreements on

As in the other regions, nuclear technology development in Latin America reflects mainly the degree of technological development already existing in each country. It is quite significant that in nearly all countries in Latin America the medical profession has been the first to show interest in using nuclear techniques. As a result, a country such as Uruguay has become a source of recruitment for technical assistance experts in nuclear medicine to other developing countries, while at the same time it continues to receiveassistance for new sophisticated techniques from the IAEA. Part of this assistance, in turn, comes from the neighbouring countries, Argentina and Brazil. For example, an expert from Uruguay is currently assigned under an Agency programme to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala, and experts from Argentina and Brazil have been sent to Uruguay. This is an example of 'horizontal' development, meaning mutual assistance between developing countries under programmes supported by the United Nations Agencies, which is now being emphasized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Still in the field of nuclear medicine, another significant model is provided by Bolivia. With assistance from the IAEA, and thanks to the availability of a good professional infrastructure in that country, a net of nuclear medicine services has been started, consisting of a well-developed nuclear medicine centre in La Paz and regional centres in Cochabamba, Sucre and Santa Cruz. Because of its great variations in altitude, Bolivia is in the position of being able to conduct research on the adaptation of man to diverse environmental conditions. The Agency has contributed, and continues to do so, to these programmes by sending experts, providing for training abroad of Bolivian doctors under its fellowship programmes, and providing basic equipment for all four centres. Independently of the cases described above, the IAEA has implemented or is implementing a considerable

An optical correlation receiver is described that provides ultra-precise distance and/or time/pulse-width measurements even for weak (single photons) and short (femtosecond) optical signals. A new type of optical correlation receiver uses a fourth-order (intensity) interferometer to provide micron distance measurements even for weak (single photons) and short (femtosecond) optical signals. The optical correlator uses a low-noise-integrating detector that can resolve photon number. The correlation (range as a function of path delay) is calculated from the variance of the photon number of the difference of the optical signals on the two detectors. Our preliminary proof-of principle data (using a short-pulse diode laser transmitter) demonstrates tens of microns precision.

Five experiments suggested that everyday free will and moral responsibility judgments about some hypothetical thought examples differed from free will and moral responsibility judgments about the actual world. Experiment 1 (N=106) showed that free will intuitions about the actual world measured by the FAD-Plus poorly predicted free will intuitions about a hypothetical person performing a determined action (r=.13). Experiments 2-5 replicated this result and found the relations between actual free will judgments and free will judgments about hypothetical determined or fated actions (rs=.22-.35) were much smaller than the differences between them (ηp(2)=.2-.55). These results put some pressure on theoretical accounts of everyday intuitions about freedom and moral responsibility. PMID:26126174

innovation network for sustainable construction, InnoBYG started work on a Danish sector guide for the calculation of actual energy consumption in relation to upgrading of buildings. The focus was to make a common guide for energy calculations that can be used by consultants performing calculations. The...... consumption compared with the estimated energy demand by calculation. The paper concludes that the result of an energy calculation should not be given as a single figure but rather as a spread between the best and worst case for the assumed conditions. Finally, a brief update on current actions is given...... related to the sector guide for calculation of actual energy consumption. Keywords – Energy calculations, actual energy consumption, energy perfomance...

The new 4mm receiver (67--93 GHz) for the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) was built to take advantage of the improved surface accuracy of the dish. The low frequency end of the 3mm atmospheric window is not available with ALMA (National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Today the customers are able to compare the products of the different services available easily and between service companies, the experience the customer receives has become more and more important. Banking services have experienced the same evolution than the other surrounding service companies, and the importance of more complicated advisory services is sought after, when simpler transactions are taken care by the customers themselves. Investment services are one of the highest profiti...

Global Positioning System (GPS) is used ubiquitously in a wide variety of applications ranging from navigation and tracking to modern smart grids and communication networks. However, it has been demonstrated that modern GPS receivers are vulnerable to signal spoofing attacks. For example, today it is possible to change the course of a ship or force a drone to land in an hostile area by simply spoofing GPS signals. Several countermeasures have been proposed in the past to detect GPS spoofing a...

In most MIMO systems, the family of waterfall error curves, calculated at different spectral efficiencies, are asymptotically parallel at high SNR. In other words, most MIMO systems exhibit a single diversity value for all {\\em fixed} rates. The MIMO MMSE receiver does not follow this pattern and exhibits a varying diversity in its family of error curves. This effect cannot be captured by DMT analysis, due to the fact that all fixed rates correspond to the same multiplexing gain, thus they cannot be differentiated within DMT analysis. This work analyzes this interesting behavior of the MMSE MIMO receiver and produces the MMSE MIMO diversity at each rate. The diversity of the quasi-static flat-fading MIMO channel consisting of any arbitrary number of transmit and receive antennas is fully characterized, showing that full spatial diversity is possible for all antenna configurations if and only if the rate is within a certain bound which is a function of the number of antennas. For other rate brackets, the avail...

The skin and oral cavity are common sites of neoplasia in avian species. Radiation therapy has been described for the treatment of these tumors in birds; however, its observed effectiveness has been variable. One possible explanation for this variability when radiation is used to treat the head is the unique anatomy of the avian skull, which contains an elaborate set of sinuses not found in mammalian species. To compare a calculated dose of radiation intended to be administered and the actual amount of radiation delivered to the target area of the choana in 3 adult military macaws (Ara militaris), computed tomography scans were obtained and the monitor unit was calculated to deliver 100 cGy (1Gy) by using radiation planning software. The birds received 3-4 radiation treatments each from a megavoltage radiation therapy unit. A thermoluminescent dosimetry chip (TLD) placed in the choana of the birds was used to measure the amount of ionizing radiation delivered at each treatment. The TLDs were kept in place using Play-Doh as a tissue analog. The actual dose of radiation delivered was lower than the 100-cGy calculated dose, with the 95% confidence limits of predicted bias values between 2.35 and 5.39 (radiation dose from 94.61 to 97.65 cGy). A significant difference was identified between the actual amount of radiation delivered and the calculated radiation goal (P < .001). None of the TLDs received the intended dose of 100 cGy of radiation. The results revealed that the amount of radiation delivered did not reach intended levels. Because the combination of the significance of this discrepancy and the standard dose inhomogeneity could lead to greater than 10% dose inhomogeneity, future investigation is warranted for accurate dose calculation and efficacy of radiation therapy for neoplasia at the lumen of the choana in birds. PMID:27088738

number of qualified staff. 4. In 1971, 73 countries received technical assistance in one form or another from the Agency, as shown, Approximately two thirds of all assistance provided related to the application of isotopes and radiation in agriculture, nuclear engineering and technology, nuclear physics and the subjects covered by the classification heading 'Prospecting, mining and processing of nuclear materials'. 5. The assistance, including assistance in kind, was provided through the services of 345 experts, lecturers and visiting professors, the supply of equipment to a value of about $1 489 000, and 739 fellowship awards for individual study, scientific visits, two study tours and other short-term training projects. 6. The resources allocated for carrying out the Agency's 1971 technical assistance programme amounted to $5 630 000, whereas the total value of the technical assistanceactually provided in 1971 was about $4 895 000. This includes payments against 1971 and prior years' obligations, as well as assistance in kind, and represents an increase of $900 000 or 23% over the sum of $3 486 000 provided in 1970, but does not include the unliquidated obligations and assistance in kind outstanding at the end of the year. As in earlier reports on the provision of technical assistance by the Agency, details are given below regarding activities in which developing countries have shown special interest in 1971, followed by information concerning other developments relating to technical assistance

... Foreign Agricultural Service Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service... Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Farmers petitions for fiscal year 2010 beginning March 11, 2010. Petitioners... in accordance with 7 CFR part 1580.201. The petition must be received by the TAA for Farmers Staff...

A research on the actual condition on the licensed chief engineers of radiation was performed on October, 1975. Question cards were sent to 2915 facilities in Japan, and answers came back from 2850 facilities. Answers report the size of each facility, number of employee, number of chief engineers in charge, age of chief engineers, appointment authority, responsibility, improvement of working condition of chief engineer, and assistant officer for chief engineer. The number of worker is 62,456 in 2,769 facilities. The number of chief engineer in charge is 3,286 containing 579 doctor and/or dentist. The age of chief in 80 percent facilities is above 31. System of management of radiation safety was also investigated. (Kato, T.)

Background: Comparisons between what patients find important and their actual experiences with primary care provides insight in the responsiveness of a country’s primary care system. These insights show where doctors could take measures to match patients’ needs. Methods: Data collected through the Q

The objective of this paper was an overview of the options for storage of the reactor internals during an actual annealing process. Physical support of the internals, adequate shielding, and seals to protect the vessel from water leakage were considered in this review. Options considered were: (1) Canister approach, (2) Dam approach, and (3) Dry storage shielded cask approach

Full Text Available The Five-Factor Model of personality, which includes dimensions energy, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness, gained a growing acceptance by personality researchers. In the present study the actual personality characteristics of physical educators and the personality profile of an ideal (according to subjective evaluations of experts physical educator were investigated. The aim of the study was to examine differences between profiles of actual and preferred personality characteristics and to present differences in personality characteristics between male and female physical educators of different ages. The study included 76 (40 male, 36 female 24 to 58 year-old physical educators (mean age 39.7 years. 34 experts from the field of sport, physical education, and kinesiology evaluated the preferred personality structure of an ideal physical educator. The Big Five Observer (BFO was used to assess actual and preferred personality structures. These results show that the actual personality profile of physical educators is described with all five moderately high dimensions, which is relatively congruent with the social type from Holland's typology, characteristic of educators. In comparison with participants, an ideal physical educator should have equally expressed agreeableness, while other four dimensions should be highly expressed. Gender differences in energy and agreeableness (women have higher results in both dimensions were found significant. No significant age differences in the personality structure were obtained by a cross-sectional comparison.

Person-organization fit (P-O fit) is an important and often-researched variable, which sheds light on the way employees perceive their relationship with the organization they work for. In this study, two different assessments of P-O fit are compared, i.e. actual fit (an indirect measurement based on

This paper focuses on the actual radioactive waste management situation in Guatemala, as well as on the sources and facilities that have obtained the license, and the way to disposal them, when they are considered as radioactive waste. The Direccion General de Energia Nuclear is the entity responsible for the proper and normal performance of the regulatory activity in the country. (author). 3 refs

. Recent vertebrates form a continuum from perfect interaural transmission (0 dB in a certain frequency band) and pronounced eardrum directionality (30-40 dB) in the lizards, over somewhat attenuated transmission and limited directionality in birds and frogs, to the strongly attenuated interaural...... transmission and functionally isolated pressure receiver ears in the mammals. Since some of the binaural interaction already takes place at the eardrum in animals with strongly coupled ears, producing enhanced interaural time and level differences, the subsequent neural processing may be simpler. In robotic...

The Royal Swedish Academy of Scienceshas selected Andrea Ghez, a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA, to receive the 2012 Crafoord Prize in Astronomy. She is being honored by the Academy for “observations of stars orbiting the Galactic center, indicating the presence of a supermassive black hole.” The Crafoord Prize, which includes an accompanying award of 4 million Swedish krona, is considered one of the world’s largest scientific prizes. Ghez is the first woman to win the award since...

A receiving antenna with a matched load will always scatter some power. This paper sets an upper and a lower bound on the absorption efficiency (absorbed power over sum of absorbed and scattered powers), which lies between 0 and 100% depending on the directivities of the antenna and scatter...... patterns. It can approach 100% as closely as desired, although in practice this may not be an attractive solution. An example with a small endfire array of dipoles shows an efficiency of 93%. Several examples of small conical horn antennas are also given, and they all have absorption efficiencies less than...

The document reproduces the press release with a statement by Dr. J.W.L. de Villiers, Executive Chairman of the Atomic Energy Corporation of South Africa Limited, issued on 31 January 1984 and included in the letter received by the Director General of the IAEA from the Resident Representative of South Africa to the Agency on 31 January 1984. This statement refers to the transfer of nuclear material equipment and technology by South Africa to other countries and the Non-Proliferation Treaty

This book discusses the trade-offs involved in designing direct RF digitization receivers for the radio frequency and digital signal processing domains. A system-level framework is developed, quantifying the relevant impairments of the signal processing chain, through a comprehensive system-level analysis. Special focus is given to noise analysis (thermal noise, quantization noise, saturation noise, signal-dependent noise), broadband non-linear distortion analysis, including the impact of the sampling strategy (low-pass, band-pass), analysis of time-interleaved ADC channel mismatches, sampling clock purity and digital channel selection. The system-level framework described is applied to the design of a cable multi-channel RF direct digitization receiver. An optimum RF signal conditioning, and some algorithms (automatic gain control loop, RF front-end amplitude equalization control loop) are used to relax the requirements of a 2.7GHz 11-bit ADC. A two-chip implementation is presented, using BiCMOS and 65nm...

The current challenge for PV/Thermal (PV/T) systems is the reduction of radiation heat loss. Compared to solar thermal selective coating, the solar cells cannot be used as an efficient thermal absorber due to their large emissivity of the encapsulation material. Many commercial PV/T products therefore require a high concentration (more than 10x) to reach an acceptable thermal efficiency for their receivers. Such a concentration system inevitably has to track or semi-track, which induces additional cost and collects only the direct radiation from the sun. We propose a new PV/T design using a vacuum encapsulated thin film cell to solve this problem. The proposed design also collects the diffuse sun light efficiently by using an external compound parabolic concentrator (XCPC). Since the transparent electrode (TCO) of thin film cell is inherently transparent in visible light and reflective beyond infrared, this design uses this layer instead of the conventional solar cell encapsulation as the outmost heat loss surface. By integrating such a vacuum design with a tube shaped absorber, we reduce the complexity of conducting the heat energy and electricity out of the device. A low concentration standalone non-tracking solar collector is proposed in this paper. We also analyzed the thermosyphon system configuration using heat transfer and ray tracing models. The economics of such a receiver are presented.

US Agency for International Development — ForeignAssistance.gov provides a view of U.S. Government foreign assistance funds across agencies and enables users to explore, analyze, and review aid investments...

Video assisted techniques were documented by M.Gagner (1996 – video assisted parathyroidectomy), Henry (1999), Shimizu (1999), Ohgami (2000), Miccoli (2000 – video assisted parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy). The advantage of this kind of surgery: aesthetics i.e. trying to make only small scars on the neck. Our first case of video assisted thyroidectomy was a female 50 years of age, with multinodular goiter, nodules of 2-3 cm in each lobe, admitted in our clinic in December 2008. History of...

On 29 June the CERN theorist Gabriele Veneziano was awarded the prestigious Albert Einstein Medal for significant contributions to the understanding of string theory. This award is given by the Albert Einstein Society in Bern to individuals whose scientific contributions relate to the work of Einstein. Former recipients include exceptional physicists such as Murray Gell-Mann last year, but also Stephen Hawking and Victor Weisskopf. Gabriele Veneziano, a member of the integrated CERN Theory Team since 1977, led the Theory Division from 1994 to 1997 and has already received many prestigious prizes for his outstanding work, including the Enrico Fermi Prize (see CERN Courier, November 2005), the Dannie Heineman Prize for mathematical physics of the American Physical Society in 2004 (see Bulletin No. 47/2003), and the I. Ya. Pomeranchuk Prize of the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (Moscow) in 1999.

Full Text Available This study reviews the potential of tablet technology for teaching and learning. In autumn 2012, we conducted a focused survey comprising quantitative and qualitative questions with Finnish teachers (N = 171, from 54 schools. We focused on perceived pedagogical opportunities and the actualized pedagogical potential of tablets at schools. The survey results indicate that the actual usefulness of tablets in schools was significantly less than what teachers perceived as the pedagogical potential. However, the results demonstrate the positive impact these devices are having on teaching and learning, as well as prompting changes in pedagogical perspectives. Teachers stated that tablets can diversify and enhance teaching and learning in many ways, particularly in supporting learners’ motivation and independent learning, and promoting engaging teaching methods. Nevertheless, teachers voiced concern that the student-to-device ratio at the moment is too low, thus serving as a barrier to widespread use of tablets.

Two types of methods for potential and actual evapotranspiration determining were compared. The first type includes neutron gauge, tensiometers, gypsum blocks and lysimeters. The actual and potential evapotranspiration were calculated by water balance equation. The second type of methods used a simulation model for all calculation. The aim of this study was not only to compare and estimate the methods using. It was mainly pointed on calculations of water use efficiency and transpiration coefficient in potential production situation. This makes possible to choose the best way for water consumption optimization for a given crop. The final results find with the best of the methods could be used for applying the principles of sustainable agriculture in random region of Bulgarian territory. (author)

The extracellular group B streptococcal enzyme described in numerous reports as a neuraminidase is really a hyaluronidase. Over the past 25 years, the enzyme was routinely assayed with bovine submaxillary mucin as the substrate and by the thiobarbituric acid procedure to measure released sialic acid. Characterization of the actual compound released by the enzyme revealed it to be an alpha,beta-unsaturated derivative of hyalobiuronic acid that was derived from hyaluronic acid contaminating the...

Life cycle cost technique is a powerful tool to make a scientific decision and a useful method of advancing the continuable development of the society. In this paper, development course, application actuality and up-to-date research trends of life cycle cost technique in China are summarized. Some suggestions are given on how to general- ize the application of life cycle cost technique which are used as the reference to study life cycle cost technique.

This article analyzes the actual gastronomic practice of fast food. Traditional gastronomic culture is undergoing transformations in the modern world. New gastronomic scares are developing that are related to an inability to predict ingredients in consumed foods. Fast food is neutral on the basis of ethnic gastronomic cultures and is becoming a prevailing eating style. As opposed to fast food, alternative gastronomic practices are becoming more essential. They bear a relation to the establish...

textabstractThis exploratory study focuses on the conversion from nascent to actual entrepreneurship and the role of entry barriers in this process. Using data for a sample of countries participating in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor between 2002 and 2004, we estimate a twoequation model explaining the nascent entrepreneurship rate and the young business entrepreneurship rate, while taking into account the interrelationship between the two variables (i.e. the conversion). Furthermore var...

This paper investigates the effect of business regulations on various measures of entrepreneurship. Using data for a sample of countries participating in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor between 2002 and 2005, we estimate a two-equation model explaining the nascent and the actual entrepreneurship rate, while taking into account the interrelationship between the two variables. Various determinants of entrepreneurship reflecting the demand and supply side of entrepreneurship as well as busin...

An overview on the situation of metallic superconductors, their applications and market, and a brief history about the superconductivity at high Tc (new ceramic superconductors), describing the actual level of research and development in the world and national plans are presented. Some comments about incentives and markets for rare earths are done. The scientific and technological challengers are discussed and some suggestions to lead a superconductivity national program are proposed. (M.C.K.)

Actual ideas to remove existing discrepancies between photoproduction and e+e--production on searching radially excited ρ-mesons will be discussed. An update of a candidates list for corresponding ω and φ excitations is given. Photoproduction properties of two possibly exotic states are presented: A meikton-state decaying into b1(1235)π and the well known a0(980) meson. (orig.)

Purpose of the article. The purpose of this paper is to define the actual situation of family business on the market, particularly focused on qualities of family business and its strengths or weaknesses. The object of research is the family business as an economical phenomenon. The study includes two subjects: firstly, to find out a specification of the family business, to analyze family ties within the business in accordance with the laws of the Czech Republic or to find out the current econ...

Laboratory-scale flowsheet tests of the fractional crystallization process were conducted with actual tank waste samples in a hot cell at the 222-S Laboratory. The process is designed to separate medium-curie liquid waste into a low-curie stream for feeding to supplemental treatment and a high-curie stream for double-shell tank storage. Separations criteria (for Cs-137 sulfate, and sodium) were exceeded in all three of the flowsheet tests that were performed.

The evapotranspiration estimation has great importance to crop productivity and agricultural water management. In this study, evapotranspiration is analyzed in a coffee (Coffea arabica L.) crop located in Piracicaba, state of São Paulo (Brazil) using a numerical method based on the simulation of both water flow and crop activity in the unsaturated zone of the soil. Actual evapotranspiration is estimated from potential evapotranspiration using water stress functions, meteorological data, soil ...

Using survey data of voters in Tanzania, this paper shows that while education does not affect self-reported voting in general elections, it increases actual voting. The less educated are more likely to claim to have voted without having done so, which may explain why previous studies of voting in developing countries fail to find an effect of education. We demonstrate the importance of this finding by using our survey data to generate predicted voting probabilities for the respondents to the...

The Brazilian Atomic Energy Commission (CNEN) has recently inaugurated it's new Instrumentation and Control Laboratory, at the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear, and with this event gave an important step towards the development of know-how in this area. This paper makes an historic review of the situation in Brazil, describes actual and planned projects, and discuss the transference of this technology to the Brazilian Industry. (Author)

Laboratory-scale flowsheet tests of the fractional crystallization process were conducted with actual tank waste samples in a hot cell at the 2224 Laboratory. The process is designed to separate medium-curie liquid waste into a low-curie stream for feeding to supplemental treatment and a high-curie stream for double-shell tank storage. Separations criteria (for Cesium-137 sulfate and sodium) were exceeded in all three of the flowsheet tests that were performed

The impact of supplemental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on CalWORKs leavers was examined in a study of CalWORKs recipients in Los Angeles County, California, who stopped receiving welfare benefits in the third quarter of 1998. Two groups received federal housing assistance at the time of exit from…

Highlights: • We analyzed an actual performance of grid connected PV system. • We derived accurate models for the system based on the actual performance. • We assist the electricity productively of the proposed system. - Abstract: This paper presents a field operation experience for a grid connected PV system under tropical climate. The system is consisted of a 5 kWp photovoltaic (PV) array and a 6 kW DC/AC inverter. The operation performance data are recorded in order to develop accurate mathematical models for the system as well as to evaluate the productivity of the system. The experiment results show that, the average PV performance (the ratio of the theoretical performance to the actual performance) is 73.12% while the average inverter performance (the ratio of the theoretical inverter efficiency to the actual inverter efficiency) is 98.56%. Moreover, it is found that the daily yield factor of the PV system is 2.51 kW h/kWp day while, the capacity factor is 10.47%. However, it is concluded that the productivity of the system is below the prospected rate and thus, an inspection of the system must be done in order to diagnose the problem of the system’s low productivity. This paper presents worthwhile information for those who are interested in PV system installation in Malaysia and nearby country

Training in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery is crucial, but the training with actual surgery robots is relatively expensive. Therefore, improving the efficiency of this training is of great interest in robotic surgical education. One of the current limitations of this training is the ...

A conventional solar dynamic system transmits solar energy to the flowing fluid of a thermodynamic cycle through structures which contain the gas and thermal energy storage material. Such a heat transfer mechanism dictates that the structure operate at a higher temperature than the fluid. This investigation reports on a fluid absorption receiver where only a part of the solar energy is transmitted to the structure. The other part is absorbed directly by the fluid. By proportioning these two heat transfer paths the energy to the structure can preheat the fluid, while the energy absorbed directly by the fluid raises the fluid to its final working temperature. The surface temperatures need not exceed the output temperature of the fluid. This makes the output temperature of the gas the maximum temperature in the system. The gas can have local maximum temperatures higher than the output working temperature. However local high temperatures are quickly equilibrated, and since the gas does not emit radiation, local high temperatures do not result in a radiative heat loss. Thermal radiation, thermal conductivity, and heat exchange with the gas all help equilibrate the surface temperature.

... to $5,000 per unit, and single family properties. 35.720 Section 35.720 Housing and Urban Development... receiving up to $5,000 per unit, and single family properties. Effective September 15, 2000, the... up to and including $5,000 per assisted dwelling unit annually in project-based assistance and to...

To help reduce US dependence on imported petroleum, Congress passed the Energy Security Act of 1980 (public Law 96-294). This legislation authorized the US Department of Energy (DOE) to promote expansion of the fuel alcohol industry through, among other measures, its Alcohol Fuels Loan Guarantee Program. Under this program, selected proposals for the conversion of plant biomass into fuel-grade ethanol would be granted loan guarantees. of 57 applications submitted for loan guarantees to build and operate ethanol fuel projects under this program, 11 were considered by DOE to have the greatest potential for satisfying DOE's requirements and goals. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), DOE evaluated the potential impacts of proceeding with the Loan Guarantee Program in a programmatic environmental assessment (DOE 1981) that resulted in a finding of no significant impact (FANCY) (47 Federal Register 34, p. 7483). The following year, DOE conducted site-specific environmental assessments (EAs) for 10 of the proposed projects. These F-As predicted no significant environmental impacts from these projects. Eventually, three ethanol fuel projects received loan guarantees and were actually built: the Tennol Energy Company (Tennol; DOE 1982a) facility near Jasper in southeastern Tennessee; the Agrifuels Refining Corporation (Agrifuels; DOE 1985) facility near New Liberia in southern Louisiana; and the New Energy Company of Indiana (NECI; DOE 1982b) facility in South Bend, Indiana. As part of a larger retrospective examination of a wide range of environmental effects of ethanol fuel plants, we compared the actual effects of the three completed plants on aquatic and terrestrial resources with the effects predicted in the NEPA EAs several years earlier. A secondary purpose was to determine: Why were there differences, if any, between actual effects and predictions? How can assessments be improved and impacts reduced?

Full Text Available Disabled people face barriers in performing their various activities, including teaching. By using assistive technologies for different activities, people with disabilities may be able to perform a wider range of tasks independently. Fortunately, it helps to reduce many of these barriers, but, unfortunately, disabled people (learning, autism or ADHD face a variety of barriers when they want to use software tools or hardware devices. In this regard, assistive technologies are available to help persons with different types of disabilities, from cognitive problems to physical impairment. Hardware devices and software tools (known as adaptive or assistive technologies have been developed to provide functional alternatives for all individuals with disabilities, depending on the type of disability. In addition, the use of assistive technologies to support them is an effective approach for many persons with disabilities, regardless of the type of disability. Additionally, individuals with disabilities often experience greater success when they are allowed to use their abilities to work around their disabilities (the challenges they imply. Moreover, mobile devices are useful for their ability to weave Internet access and social networking into the daily life. To the people with disabilities, these devices have the potential to unlock unprecedented new possibilities for communication or navigation. In this context, some actualassistive technology and approaches to use them are described in this paper.

A revised document on ''Mutual Emergency Assistance for Radiation Accidents'' jointly prepared by the Agency with the participation of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator (UNDRO) was issued in 1980 as TECDOC-237. The present document lists the additional information received after publication of the 1980 edition and is issued as a Supplement to TECDOC-237 (1980 Edition). Some useful information contained in TECDOC-237 such as the IAEA arrangement and the WHO Collaborating Centres for Radiation Emergency Assistance are reprinted for ready reference

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of the scores of Tokuhashi and Tomita and the actual survival of patients with vertebral metastases.METHODS: A retrospective assessment of 45 patients with spinal metastases. Thirty-one patients underwent surgical treatment and adjuvant therapy and 14 received conservative treatment (chemotherapy/radiotherapy or palliative/supportive, depending on the scores of Tokuhashi and Tomita.RESULTS: In the study, 80% of patients were female and the mean age was 57.8 years (SD=11.3 years. The most frequent primary tumors were breast and prostate (68.9%. The accuracy of Tokuhashi scale was 53.4% and the Tomita, 64.5%. The concentration of Tomita range of correct classification was in the category of survival > 12 months (57.8%, while the Tokuhashi scale presented some adjustment in the other categories, CONCLUSION: The Tokuhashi and Tomita scores showed good accuracy with respect to the actual survival of patients with tumor metastasis in the spine.

This paper analyzes the medium-term growth performance of firms that exclusively received start-up assistance from programs administered by the Deutsche Ausgleichsbank (DtA), a state owned bank, within two years after startup. I apply a parametric selection approach that controls for two potential sources of self selection (receipt of assistance, complete interview data). The empirical analysis shows that firms receivingassistance perform better in terms of employment growth over a six year ...

The Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy (IESSG), at the University of Nottingham, has been involved with ionospheric scintillation research and its impact on users of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) since 2001. The IESSG hosts a comprehensive archive of scintillation data recorded during the last high of the solar cycle (2001-2003) by four GSV4004 receivers (GPS Silicon Valley) in the UK and Norway, at geographic latitudes varying from 53N to 71N. The scintillation data that forms this ~3-year archive is given solely by the widely used scintillation indices S4 and σφ (in particular the latter's 60 second version). Aquino et al (2007) describe a strategy devised to enable the combination of these scintillation indices and the spectral parameters T (the spectral strength of the phase noise at 1 Hz) and p (the spectral slope), extracted from high-rate GPS phase and amplitude data, with state-of-the-art receiver tracking models in order to study receiver tracking performance under scintillation conditions. Strangeways (2009) later devised a method to calculate the scintillation parameters T and p over a range of Fresnel frequencies based only on the scintillation indices, i.e. when high rate data is not available, as in the case of the IESSG archive of 2001-2003. This paper shows initial investigations on the retrieval of the spectral parameters p and T from actual GPS scintillation indices recorded more recently in Trondheim (app. Lat 64N, Long 10E) on 23 April 2008. T and p values are estimated from S4 and σφ and compared with actual spectral parameters obtained from high rate data that are now being recorded. The paper then takes investigations a step further, by comparing the output of a state of the art tracking model when the estimated and actual spectral parameters are used as input, respectively. This paper gives an initial insight on the applicability of the method to mitigate the effects of the ionospheric scintillation on

Wound healing is an intricate process that involves many types of cells, reaction pathways as well as chemical, physical and electrical cues. Since biochemical reactions and physiological events are pH-dependent we study here pH as an important major characteristic of the wound healing process in the presence of endogenous and exogenous electric fields. Our model gives the spatial pH distribution in a wound. In particular we isolate a number of dimensionless quantities which sets the length, energy and time scales governing the wound healing process and which can be experimentally tested. Most interesting finding is that wound pH depends on actual wound size.

The close cohesion of research and education underlines the development of all research areas and contributes to their sustainability. In the paper, new approaches of European Commission (DG RTD Energy) to nuclear power engineering development (focused on area fission and reactor systems) and applications also for Slovak conditions are discussed in details. Research, education and training increase not only economical factor and technical development, but imply the higher level of safety culture by design or operation of nuclear installations. The paper will be focused on the actual questions in frame of Slovak as well as European nuclear sector.

Similar to photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cells, thermoelectric generators (TEGs) supply direct-current (DC) power, essentially requiring DC/alternating current (AC) conversion for delivery as electricity into the grid network. Use of PVs is already well established through power conditioning systems (PCSs) that enable DC/AC conversion with maximum-power-point tracking, which enables commercial use by customers. From the economic, legal, and regulatory perspectives, a commercial PCS for PVs should also be available for TEGs, preferably as is or with just simple adjustment. Herein, we report use of a PV PCS with an actual TEG. The results are analyzed, and proper application for TEGs is proposed.

The financial crisis that has already settled in our society began with the activities performed in the USA by the financial entities that conceived and innovated new financial products in order to move and socialize their risks to the rest of the system. Globalization has allowed these risks to spread all over the planet and the problem is the acute ignorance of the actual situation in the balances of the financial entities. This has caused a general distrust and a lack of liquidity in the i...

The Ukrainian Association of Manufacturers of Industrial Gases «UA-SIGMA» on May, 18-22, 2009 in Odessa had been carried out the third international seminar «СО2-2009». The questions considered at seminar have been incorporated by an actual problem of increase of efficiency and ecologically-technological safety of manufacture and use of carbon dioxide. In this problem was interested not only the manufacturers of СО2 and urea but also those who releases the various carbon dioxide equipment. Th...

Securitization of receivables allows healthcare providers to obtain an additional funding source by selling their accounts receivables to investors. A double-lock-box structure allows providers to securitize Medicare and Medicaid receivables without violating federal laws. A 2001 revision to the Uniform Commercial Code facilitates providers' securitization of private healthcare insurance receivables by underscoring rights of a purchaser of those receivables. HIPAA privacy standards appear to permit the use and disclosure of protected health information in crafting a securitization program. The securitization should be structured to shield the value of the receivables to be transferred from the potential backruptcies of the originator and the purchaser. PMID:12602313

This book by the author of Digital Techniques for Wideband Receivers willbe like no other one on your book shelf as the definitive word on electronicwarfare (EW) receiver design and performance. Whether you are an EWscientist involved in the test and evaluation of EW receivers or a designerof RWR's and other EW-related receivers, Microwave Receivers withElectronic Warfare Applications is a handy reference through which you canperfect your technical art. Lucidly written, this book is a treatise on EWreceivers that is relevant to you if you are just looking for a top-levelinsight into EW receive

Initial tests of the 50 kw DIAPR solar receiver have been conducted in the WIS Solar Furnace, at a power level of 11 kw. These tests show that the receiver components, and especially the novel window, are capable of stable operation at extreme conditions. A total of about 50 hours under solar load, including about 20 on-off cycles, were completed. all experiments were at high pressure, in the range of 15-25 bars. Asymmetric temperature distribution and accidental contamination of the window during the first run created thermal stresses on the window which exceeded those expected in normal operation at full load, but neither failure nor deterioration of the window were detected. Internal modifications of the receiver are planned that will reduce the temperature gradients and allow more efficient operation. Work is now in progress to modify and install the receiver in the WIS solar tower and test it at full 50 kw load in the summer of 93. The two-dimensional numerical simulation code is nearly completed, and produces energy balance and temperature range consistent with the experimental results. When extended to three dimensions it will serve to analyze the experimental results, to perform parametric studies and to assist in up scaling design. (authors). 2 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

Full Text Available Actual vapor pressure (VP is an important parameter that is used in many evapotranspiration equations. However, vapor pressure is difficult to measure accurately. In the humid climate, the actual vapor pressure can be derived from minimum air temperature. The objectives of this study were: first, to estimate errors that can arise if VP data are not available and have to be estimated; second, to compare the Priestley-Taylor ET0 values computed under various levels of VP data availability; and third, to evaluate the reliability of Priestley-Taylor equation as compared to the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method. The following main conclusions can be drawn: Estimated VP values generally were in closest agreement with measured VP values. The measurements of air humidity at humid locations are not indispensable for estimating reference evapotranspiration. The Priestley-Taylor method (with measured or estimated VP provides the very good agreement with the evapotranspiration obtained by the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith method except windless locations.

Full Text Available Ray Kurzweil and others have posited that the confluence of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and genetic engineering will soon produce posthuman beings that will far surpass us in power and intelligence. Just as black holes constitute a ldquo;singularityrdquo; from which no information can escape, posthumans will constitute a ldquo;singularity:rdquo; whose aims and capacities lie beyond our ken. I argue that technological posthumanists, whether wittingly or unwittingly, draw upon the long-standing Christian discourse of ldquo;theosis,rdquo; according to which humans are capable of being God or god-like. From St. Paul and Luther to Hegel and Kurzweil, the idea of human self-deification plays a prominent role. Hegel in particular emphasizes that God becomes wholly actualized only in the process by which humanity achieves absolute consciousness. Kurzweil agrees that God becomes fully actual only through historical processes that illuminate and thus transform the entire universe. The difference is that for Kurzweil and many other posthumanists, our offspringmdash;the posthumansmdash;will carry out this extraordinary process. What will happen to Home sapiens in the meantime is a daunting question.br /br /

At 50 year after enactment of the law of medical radiation technologists, their actual conditions were investigated. The investigation was done in December 2001 by questionnaire to directors of 10,514 facilities and answers were obtained from 4,241 facilities (40.37%). Following 11 questions (major answers and their analysis in parenthesis) were made: Nature of the facility (Private hospitals 45.8%, public ones 20.8%); State of radiation department (Independent department of the technologists from medical one about 30%); Actual job of the technologists (X-ray about 81% of the facilities, angiography 34%, CT 78%, MRI 38% where 94% of technologists conduct, nuclear medicine 17%, ultrasound 51% where, 10%); Personnel of the radiation department (21,897 persons in total/male 85%); Fulfillment of the personnel number; Treatment of the personnel; Acknowledgement system of the Technologist Society; Management of radiation instruments like daily examination; Radiation control (Leak dose measurement by technologists by themselves about 50% facilities for X-ray and radio-therapy); Medical exposure (Measurement experience about 50%); and Possession of dose rate-meter/survey-meter (Possession in about 40% facilities). (N.I.)

Real-time user localization in indoor environments is an important issue in ambient assisted living (AAL). In this context, localization based on received signal strength (RSS) has received considerable interest in the recent literature, due to its low cost and energy consumption and to its availability on all wireless communication hardware. On the other hand, the RSS-based localization is characterized by a greater error with respect to other technologies. Restricting the problem to localiz...

This presentation describes the design, fabrication, and qualification of an experimental capability for thermal loss testing of full-size trough receiver elements; and the testing on a variety of receivers.

The Clean Energy Solutions Center Ask an Expert service connects governments seeking policy information and advice with one of more than 30 global policy experts who can provide reliable and unbiased quick-response advice and information. The service is available at no cost to government agency representatives from any country and the technical institutes assisting them. This publication presents summaries of assistance provided to African governments, including the benefits of that assistance.

The overall objective of the audit of accounts receivable and sales is to determine if they are fairly presented in the context of the financial statements as a whole. The sales account is closely tied to accounts receivable; therefore, evidence supporting accounts receivable tends to support sales. For example, having determined that an account receivable is valid, the auditor has thereby supported the validity of the sale. Analytical procedures can often be used to test the sales account. A...

For decades, the potential for automation in particular, in the form of smart wheelchairs to aid those with motor, or cognitive, impairments has been recognized. It is a paradox that often the more severe a person's motor impairment, the more challenging it is for them to operate the very assistive machines which might enhance their quality of life. A primary aim of my lab is to address this confound by incorporating robotics autonomy and intelligence into assistive machines turning the machine into a kind of robot, and offloading some of the control burden from the user. Robots already synthetically sense, act in and reason about the world, and these technologies can be leveraged to help bridge the gap left by sensory, motor or cognitive impairments in the users of assistive machines. This paper overviews some of the ongoing projects in my lab, which strives to advance human ability through robotics autonomy.

... COMMISSION In the Matter of Certain Electronic Devices Having a Digital Television Receiver and Components... devices having a digital television receiver and components thereof by reason of infringement of certain... mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the Commission should...

The Capital Assistance Program (CAP) was created by the U.S. government in February 2009 to provide backup capital to large financial institutions unable to raise sufficient capital from private investors. Under the terms of the CAP, a participating bank receives contingent capital by issuing preferred shares to the Treasury combined with embedded options for both parties: The bank gets the option to redeem the shares or convert them to common equity, with conversion mandatory after seven yea...

Thermal stresses and reradiation reduced. Improved design for solar thermal-energy receiver overcomes three major deficiencies of solar dynamic receivers described in literature. Concentrator and receiver part of solar-thermal-energy system. Receiver divided into radiation section and storage section. Concentrated solar radiation falls on boiling ends of heat pipes, which transmit heat to thermal-energy-storage medium. Receiver used in number of applications to produce thermal energy directly for use or to store thermal energy for subsequent use in heat engine.

Catalytic combustion of both low and medium heating value gases using actual coal derived gases obtained from operating gasifiers was demonstrated. A fixed bed gasifier with a complete product gas cleanup system was operated in an air blown mode to produce low heating value gas. A fluidized bed gasifier with a water quench product gas cleanup system was operated in both an air enriched and an oxygen blown mode to produce low and medium, heating value gas. Noble metal catalytic reactors were evaluated in 12 cm flow diameter test rigs on both low and medium heating value gases. Combustion efficiencies greater than 99.5% were obtained with all coal derived gaseous fuels. The NOx emissions ranged from 0.2 to 4 g NO2 kg fuel.

After prolonged viewing of a slowly drifting or rotating pattern under strict fixation, the pattern appears to slow down and then momentarily stop. Here we examine the relationship between such 'motion fading' and perceived angular velocity. Using several different dot patterns that generate emergent virtual contours, we demonstrate that whenever there is a difference in the perceived angular velocity of two patterns of dots that are in fact rotating at the same angular velocity, there is also a difference in the time to undergo motion fading for those two patterns. Conversely, whenever two patterns show no difference in perceived angular velocity, even if in fact rotating at different angular velocities, we find no difference in the time to undergo motion fading. Thus, motion fading is driven by the perceived rather than actual angular velocity of a rotating stimulus. PMID:20371254

In the frame of the CAREM Project, under Cnea s Reactor and Nuclear Plants Program, the Nuclear Fuel Thematic Area is one among others on which the project is organized. In this area, the primary objective to reach is to actualize the mechanical fuel element and reactivity control designs, taking in account the recents conceptual and engineering modifications introduced in the reactor, and ending with a consolidated conceptual and basic development.In order to reach these objectives, it is presented the way on which the area was organized, the participating working groups, the task required, the personnel involucrated, the grade of global development reached in the areas of engineering, developments, fabrication and essays of design verification, and the found difficulties, the tasks under ejecution, just finished and necessaries to fulfill completely the objectives. Finally, it is possible to say that due to the work realized, the conceptual design of both components is finished and the basic design is under development

Full Text Available The evapotranspiration estimation has great importance to crop productivity and agricultural water management. In this study, evapotranspiration is analyzed in a coffee (Coffea arabica L. crop located in Piracicaba, state of São Paulo (Brazil using a numerical method based on the simulation of both water flow and crop activity in the unsaturated zone of the soil. Actual evapotranspiration is estimated from potential evapotranspiration using water stress functions, meteorological data, soil hydraulic parameters, crop coefficients and leaf area index values. Crop transpiration and soil evaporation are individually quantified improving the analysis of the evapotranspiration process. The numerical procedure can predict periods of crop water stress and becomes an attractive tool to analyze the effect of non-standard conditions on coffee crops and to design efficient irrigation schedules. Simulated evapotranspiration values are in good agreement with experimental values determined in the study site.

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to discuss how Hans Robert Jauss, the creator of the aesthetics of reception, has introduced the category of the reader into the literary studies especially when it comes to the importance of the reader to the understanding of the text, and to the history of a society and its literary system or, in other words to the way the formal elements of a literary work are organized and how they are related to aesthetic, ethic and moral evaluations. To do so, it is necessary to analyze how the conceptions of implied and actual reader, as well as of aesthetic experience, relate to questions of history, artistic communication and reception.

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to determine relation between population and country in the meaning of Sweden scientist Rudolf Kjellén. In the introduction population as an agent of power was determined. It is presented that it's necessary to use modern approach in a science of the country. The analysis of the case at Kjellén's biologistics conception at the country has been determined, too. Two sub-systems in relation to population agent at the country have been analyzed: demo-politics and socio-politics. It has been referred on actuality at Kjellén's ideas as well as on certain deficiencies at his ideas. Conclusion at this paper has been dedicated to wide influences at Kjellén's ideas.

Liquid droplet impediment erosion (LDI) is a pipe wall thinning phenomena that a droplet accelerated by steam flow attacks pipe surface. It is difficult to evaluate LDI behavior in the system of NPP. Therefore, in current pipe wall thinning management, the pipe element is replaced conservatively when it is recognized to become thinner by pipe wall thinning measurement result. If LDI behavior at each point of the system can be estimated, it is possible to measure the pipe wall thickness and replace the pipe element at an appropriate time. CRIEPI has constructed the evaluation system for LDI by using flow dynamics. In this paper, following items are described; /the applicability of the LDI evaluation system by a comparative verification between pipe wall thinning rate calculated by LDI system and that by actual measurement result / establishment of remaining life assessment method of pipe in LDI environment by using LDI model. (author)

The Uruguayan government required assistance to Unit Nations funds with the aim of studies the Natural resources in Uranium prospecting, their antecedent, actual and projected works, equipment and end considerations

The Service Water Assistance Program was developed to provide utility service water system engineers with a mechanism to quickly and efficiently address service water issues. Since its inception, its ability to assist utilities has resulted in a reduction in the operations and maintenance costs associated with service water systems and has provided a medium for EPRI awareness of industry service water issues.

The Service Water Assistance Program was developed to provide utility service water system engineers with a mechanism to quickly and efficiently address service water issues. Since its inception, its ability to assist utilities has resulted in a reduction in the operations and maintenance costs associated with service water systems and has provided a medium for EPRI awareness of industry service water issues

A door opening spring assistance apparatus is set forth that will automatically apply a door opening assistance force using a combination of rods and coil springs. The release of the rods by the coil springs reduces the force required to set the door in motion.

Ernst Cassirer claimed that Kant's notion of actual object presupposes the notion of truth. Therefore, Kant cannot define truth as the correspondence of a judgment with an actual object. In this paper, I discuss the relations between Kant's notions of truth, object, and actuality. I argue that Kant's notion of actual object does not presuppose the notion of truth. I conclude that Kant can define truth as the correspondence of a judgment with an actual object.

Full Text Available ... pretty simple. The Lapra-Ty is a biodegradable material, same material as the sutures, that cinches on the suture, ... purple, my favorite color, and this is the material that is biodegradable, and it will actually cinch ...

Full Text Available ... robot works. The robot that we’re using has four arms. One arm is holding the camera ... into the abdominal cavity. And this scope actually has two scopes integrated into one, allowing for a ...

Full Text Available ... an initial trauma to the nerves, which will cause initial erectile dysfunction, but over time, as the ... increasing the intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure actually causes a tamping on the vessels or squeezing the ...

Full Text Available ... as you can see, this patient’s anatomy is unique. His urethra is very deep in the pelvis, ... these instruments, these robotic instruments are actually knocking against the bone. To do this open would be -- ...

Full Text Available ... more better. More better. Well said. And the data proves that, by the way. Thank you. We’ ... actually knocking against the bone. To do this open would be -- Nearly impossible. Extremely difficult. You wouldn’ ...

Full Text Available ... divide the prostate away from the bladder muscle fibers. It’s maximum torque. Max. You want to get ... laparoscopy is we actually insufflate the abdomen with carbon dioxide, increasing the intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure ...

Objective To study patients’ acceptance of corticotomy-assisted orthodontics as a treatment option. Methods Adult patients seeking orthodontic treatment were asked to complete two sets of questionnaires; the first set included questions about age, sex, and level of education and general questions about orthodontic treatment; and the second set was related to the corticotomy-assisted orthodontics. Before answering the corticotomy questions, a brief description of the clinical procedure was explained and photographs of an actual procedure were shown. Results A total of 150 subjects were approached and 129 (86%) agreed to answer the questionnaires (72 male and 57 female patients). Of these, only 3.1% did hear about corticotomy and 7.8% selected corticotomy instead of extraction. Fear from the surgery (53.2%) was the most frequent reason for not selecting corticotomy followed by fear from pain (36.9%). The acceptance of corticotomy between males and females was similar. No relationship was found between the level of education and prior knowledge of the procedure, P=0.857. Prior knowledge about corticotomy was not a factor in selecting it as a treatment option (P=0.556) to reduce the treatment time (P=0.427). Conclusion The acceptance of corticotomy-assisted orthodontics as a treatment option was low. Fear from the surgery was the main reason for not selecting it. The acceptance of corticotomy-assisted orthodontics was not related to patient’s level of education or sex. PMID:26316719

This report describes the Licensing Support Network (LSN) Assistant--a set of tools for categorizing e-mail messages and documents, and investigating and correcting existing archives of categorized e-mail messages and documents. The two main tools in the LSN Assistant are the LSN Archive Assistant (LSNAA) tool for recategorizing manually labeled e-mail messages and documents and the LSN Realtime Assistant (LSNRA) tool for categorizing new e-mail messages and documents. This report focuses on the LSNAA tool. There are two main components of the LSNAA tool. The first is the Sandia Categorization Framework, which is responsible for providing categorizations for documents in an archive and storing them in an appropriate Categorization Database. The second is the actual user interface, which primarily interacts with the Categorization Database, providing a way for finding and correcting categorizations errors in the database. A procedure for applying the LSNAA tool and an example use case of the LSNAA tool applied to a set of e-mail messages are provided. Performance results of the categorization model designed for this example use case are presented.

... allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse? 101.301 Section 101.301 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS..., fraud, and abuse? The Office of Inspector General should receive all information or allegations of waste, fraud, or abuse regarding SBA programs and operations....

design criteria in relation to three core components (sensing, recognizing, and assisting) for designing real time assistive technologies for children with ADHD. Based on these design criteria, we designed the Child Activity Sensing and Training Tool (CASTT), a real time assistive prototype that captures......) real time assistive technologies have potential to assist children with ADHD in regaining attention in critical school situations....

It has become common in the space science community to conduct research on diverse physical phenomena because they are thought to contribute to space weather. However, satellites contend with only three primary environmental hazards: single event effects, vehicle charging, and total dose, and not every physical phenomenon that occurs in space contributes in substantial ways to create these hazards. One consequence of the mismatch between actual threats and all-encompassing research is the often-described gap between research and operations; another is the creation of forecasts that provide no actionable information for design engineers or spacecraft operators. An example of the latter is the physics of magnetic field emergence on the Sun; the phenomenon is relevant to the formation and launch of coronal mass ejections and is also causally related to the solar energetic particles that may get accelerated in the interplanetary shock. Unfortunately for the research community, the engineering community mitigates the space weather threat (single-event effects from heavy ions above ~50 MeV/nucleon) with a worst-case specification of the environment and not with a prediction. Worst-case definition requires data mining of past events, while predictions involve large-scale systems science from the Sun to the Earth that is compelling for scientists and their funding agencies but not actionable for design or for most operations. Differing priorities among different space-faring organizations only compounds the confusion over what science research is relevant. Solar particle impacts to human crew arise mainly from the total ionizing dose from the solar protons, so the priority for prediction in the human spaceflight community is therefore much different than in the unmanned satellite community, while both communities refer to the fundamental phenomenon as space weather. Our goal in this paper is the presentation of a brief tutorial on the primary space environmental phenomena

Although efforts are underway to examine marketing that targets the youth and families in the retail food store environment, few studies have specifically focused on stores that families identify as their primary sites for food shopping. Between November 2011 and April 2012, we examined the frequency and types of marketing techniques of 114 packaged and nonpackaged items in 24 food stores that mothers of young children in Champaign County, IL, said they commonly frequented. Chi-square tests were used to determine whether significant differences existed between items with regard to marketing by store type, store food-assistance-program acceptance (i.e., WIC), and claims. Overall, stores accepting WIC and convenience stores had higher frequencies of marketing compared to non-WIC and grocery stores. Fruits and vegetables had the lowest frequency of any marketing claim, while salty snacks and soda had the highest frequency of marketing claims. Nutrition claims were the most common across all items, followed by taste, suggested use, fun, and convenience. Television tie-ins and cartoons were observed more often than movie tie-ins and giveaways. Our results suggest an opportunity to promote healthful items more efficiently by focusing efforts on stores where mothers actually shop. PMID:24163701

Full Text Available The study aims to argue that the humanist model of medicine approaches the practice of self-care, the latter being an actualization of the former concerning all those ideas and issues in which they overlap. The humanisitic model covers pacient-centred medicine and offers a holistic approach to the patient which involves treating him/her as a patient, not as a body (as in biomedicine, emphasizes the doctor-patient partnership atmosphere, a relational, communicational and informational environment. The concept of spatialization in philosophy came out as an empirical mecanicist model in sciences and influenced the appearance of the biomedical model. In the humanistic model, the patient can be, to a certain extent, the factor making decisions with regard to the chronic disease. Self-care matches especially the human medicine with regard to the outlook on the patient as a person (holism, the long-term partnership in the communication, information and correct decision-making for the disease, the empathic environment, the responsibility shared between two people, the assistance provided when making decisions for the patient’s “friendship”with the chronic disease.

Full Text Available Although efforts are underway to examine marketing that targets the youth and families in the retail food store environment, few studies have specifically focused on stores that families identify as their primary sites for food shopping. Between November 2011 and April 2012, we examined the frequency and types of marketing techniques of 114 packaged and nonpackaged items in 24 food stores that mothers of young children in Champaign County, IL, said they commonly frequented. Chi-square tests were used to determine whether significant differences existed between items with regard to marketing by store type, store food-assistance-program acceptance (i.e., WIC, and claims. Overall, stores accepting WIC and convenience stores had higher frequencies of marketing compared to non-WIC and grocery stores. Fruits and vegetables had the lowest frequency of any marketing claim, while salty snacks and soda had the highest frequency of marketing claims. Nutrition claims were the most common across all items, followed by taste, suggested use, fun, and convenience. Television tie-ins and cartoons were observed more often than movie tie-ins and giveaways. Our results suggest an opportunity to promote healthful items more efficiently by focusing efforts on stores where mothers actually shop.

Wetlands are one of the most important ecosystems with varied functions and structures. Humans have drained wetlands and altered the structure and functions of wetlands for various uses. Wetland restoration efforts require assessment of the level of ecohydrological restoration for the intended functions. Among the various indicators of success in wetland restoration, achieving the desired water level (hydrology) is the most important, faster to achieve and easier to monitor than the establishment of the hydric soils and wetland vegetation. Monitoring wetland hydrology using remote sensing based evapotranspiration (ET) is a useful tool and approach since point measurements for understanding the temporal (before and after restoration) and spatial (impacted and restored) parts of the wetland are not effective for large areas. Evapotranspiration accounts over 80% of the water budget of the wetlands necessitating the need for spatiotemporal monitoring of ET flux. A study employing remotely sensed data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and modeling tools was conducted for a weekly spatial estimation of Everglades ET. Weekly surface temperature data were generated from the MODIS thermal band and evaporative fraction was estimated using the simplified surface energy balance (SSEB) approach. Based on the Simple Method, potential ET (PET) was estimated. Actual weekly wetland ET was computed as the (product of the PET and evaporative fraction). The ET product will be useful information for environmental restoration and wetland hydrology managers. The on-going restoration and monitoring work in the Everglades will benefit from this product and assist in evaluating progress and success in the restoration.

The congestion control algorithm in TCP relies on {\\em correct} feedback from the receiver to determine the rate at which packets should be sent into the network. Hence, correct receiver feedback (in the form of acknowledgements in TCP) is essential to the goal of sharing the scarce bandwidth resources fairly and avoiding congestion collapse in the Internet. However, the assumption that a TCP receiver can always be trusted (to generate feedback correctly) no longer holds as there are plenty of incentives for a receiver to deviate from the protocol. In fact, it has been shown that a misbehaving receiver (whose aim is to bring about congestion collapse) can easily generate acknowledgements to conceal loss and drive a number of honest, innocent senders arbitrary fast to create a significant number of non-responsive packet flows leading to denial of service to other Internet users. We give two efficient, provably secure mechanisms to force a receiver to generate feedback correctly; any incorrect acknowledgement w...

Most students diagnosed with disabilities in Thai special education schools receivedassistive technologies, but this did not guarantee the greatest benefits. The purpose of this study was to survey the provision, use and needs of assistive technologies, as well as the perspectives of key informants regarding a model of providing them in special education schools. The participants were selected by the purposive sampling method, and they comprised 120 students with visual, physical, hearing or...

textabstractBACKGROUND: In 1994 the Dutch Supreme Court ruled that in exceptional instances, physician-assisted suicide might be justifiable for patients with unbearable mental suffering but no physical illness. We studied physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in psychiatric practice in the Netherlands. METHODS: In 1996, we sent questionnaires to 673 Dutch psychiatrists - about half of all such specialists in the country - and received 552 responses from the 667 who met the study criteria...

Full Text Available Ecosystem services mapping and modeling has focused more on supply than demand, until recently. Whereas the potential provision of economic benefits from ecosystems to people is often quantified through ecological production functions, the use of and demand for ecosystem services has received less attention, as have the spatial flows of services from ecosystems to people. However, new modeling approaches that map and quantify service-specific sources (ecosystem capacity to provide a service, sinks (biophysical or anthropogenic features that deplete or alter service flows, users (user locations and level of demand, and spatial flows can provide a more complete understanding of ecosystem services. Through a case study in Puget Sound, Washington State, USA, we quantify and differentiate between the theoretical or in situ provision of services, i.e., ecosystems' capacity to supply services, and their actual provision when accounting for the location of beneficiaries and the spatial connections that mediate service flows between people and ecosystems. Our analysis includes five ecosystem services: carbon sequestration and storage, riverine flood regulation, sediment regulation for reservoirs, open space proximity, and scenic viewsheds. Each ecosystem service is characterized by different beneficiary groups and means of service flow. Using the ARtificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services (ARIES methodology we map service supply, demand, and flow, extending on simpler approaches used by past studies to map service provision and use. With the exception of the carbon sequestration service, regions that actually provided services to people, i.e., connected to beneficiaries via flow paths, amounted to 16-66% of those theoretically capable of supplying services, i.e., all ecosystems across the landscape. These results offer a more complete understanding of the spatial dynamics of ecosystem services and their effects, and may provide a sounder basis for

This Bachelor's thesis focuses on the legal ways of enforcing accounts receivable in public auctions within the Czech law. An important part of the thesis is dedicated to a description of accounts receivable formation process and the ways of debt securing. The crucial part refers to the legal framework identification and comparison of the receivables enforcement under obcansky soudni rad and zakon o verejenych drazbach. The entire process of the public auction from the auction proposal to the...

Accounts receivable management directly impacts the profitability of a company. Firstly, the purpose of the empirical part of the study is to analyze accounts receivable and to demonstrate a correlation between the accounts receivable level and profitability expressed in terms of Retun on Assets (ROA) of sample companies. Secondly, the aim of theoretical research is to explore cost and benefits of changes in credit policy, determine the independent variables which have an impact on net savi...

The problem of joint source-channel coding in transmitting independent sources over interference channels with correlated receiver side information is studied. When each receiver has side information correlated with its own desired source, it is shown that source-channel code separation is optimal. When each receiver has side information correlated with the interfering source, sufficient conditions for reliable transmission are provided based on a joint source-channel coding scheme using the ...

The increased bandwidths of radioastronomical receivers has increased the detector stability requirements. A detector with a short-term stability of 0.01 percent, required in a receiver with a 9 mm wavelength receiver, could not be achieved using previously available detectors and dc amplifiers. This paper describes a switched detector which meets these requirements, and presents resulting rms values as a function of integration time.

Estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shale gas production and use are controversial. Here we assess the level of GHG emissions from shale gas well hydraulic fracturing operations in the United States during 2010. Data from each of the approximately 4000 horizontal shale gas wells brought online that year are used to show that about 900 Gg CH4 of potential fugitive emissions were generated by these operations, or 228 Mg CH4 per well—a figure inappropriately used in analyses of the GHG impact of shale gas. In fact, along with simply venting gas produced during the completion of shale gas wells, two additional techniques are widely used to handle these potential emissions: gas flaring and reduced emission ‘green’ completions. The use of flaring and reduced emission completions reduce the levels of actual fugitive emissions from shale well completion operations to about 216 Gg CH4, or 50 Mg CH4 per well, a release substantially lower than several widely quoted estimates. Although fugitive emissions from the overall natural gas sector are a proper concern, it is incorrect to suggest that shale gas-related hydraulic fracturing has substantially altered the overall GHG intensity of natural gas production. (letter)

The predation of wildlife by domestic cats (Felis catus) is a complex problem: Cats are popular companion animals in modern society but are also acknowledged predators of birds, herpetofauna, invertebrates, and small mammals. A comprehensive understanding of this conservation issue demands an understanding of both the ecological consequence of owning a domestic cat and the attitudes of cat owners. Here, we determine whether cat owners are aware of the predatory behavior of their cats, using data collected from 86 cats in two UK villages. We examine whether the amount of prey their cat returns influences the attitudes of 45 cat owners toward the broader issue of domestic cat predation. We also contribute to the wider understanding of physiological, spatial, and behavioral drivers of prey returns among cats. We find an association between actual prey returns and owner predictions at the coarse scale of predatory/nonpredatory behavior, but no correlation between the observed and predicted prey-return rates among predatory cats. Cat owners generally disagreed with the statement that cats are harmful to wildlife, and disfavored all mitigation options apart from neutering. These attitudes were uncorrelated with the predatory behavior of their cats. Cat owners failed to perceive the magnitude of their cats’ impacts on wildlife and were not influenced by ecological information. Management options for the mitigation of cat predation appear unlikely to work if they focus on “predation awareness” campaigns or restrictions of cat freedom. PMID:26306163

The construction industry, a part of being essential to achieve the society development, is also one of the main generators of solid waste and pollution, and it is also responsible for a great part of the landscape transformation and the energy usage. These are enough reasons for the industry not to be indifferent to the actual environmental problematic. This paper, which is intended for academic and professional community generally, presents a diagnosis about the current state of construction in Colombia regarding the environmental impact that it generates. To this end, it exposes the Colombian construction industry framed-related to its environmental impact, and documents, chronologically, the practices and strategies that have been used to reduce the negative impact on the environment throughout the time until nowadays. Finally, this document presents a survey result applied to a representative sample of constructive firms of the Valle de Aburra, Antioquia, where several aspects, regarding the concept of sustainable building and the environmental actions that the firm carries out, were inquired.

Worldwide polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) pollution is due to complex mixtures with high number of congeners, making the determination of total PCBs in the environment an open challenge. Because the bulk of PCBs production was made of Aroclor mixtures, this analysis is usually faced by the empirical mixture identification via visual inspection of the chromatogram. However, the identification reliability is questionable, as patterns in real samples are strongly affected by the frequent occurrence of more than one mixture. Our approach is based on the determination of a limited number of congeners chosen to enable objective criteria for Aroclor identification, summing up the advantages of congener-specific analysis with the ones of total PCBs determination. A quantitative relationship is established between congeners and any single mixture, or mixtures combination, leading to the identification of the actual contamination composition. The approach, due to its generality, allows the use of different sets of congeners and any technical mixture, including the non-Aroclor ones. The results confirm that PCB environmental pollution in northern Italy is based on Aroclor. Our methodology represents an important tool to understand the source and fate of the PCBs contamination. PMID:26805927

Treatability studies have been conducted at the laboratory-scale to evaluate vitrification of waste water sludges at the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). These studies are being conducted jointly by Westinghouse Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). These studies include testing with surrogate waste formulations at both the laboratory-scale and pilot-scale, and testing with actual waste at the laboratory-scale, pilot-scale, and field-scale. ORR was chosen as the host site for the field-scale demonstration. The Y12 West End Treatment Facility (WETF) waste water treatment sludges, which are RCRA F-listed wastes, were chosen as the candidate waste stream for the first field-scale demonstration. The laboratory-scale ''proof-of-principle'' demonstrations reported in this study and the pilot-scale studies planned for FY95 on the WETF sludge will provide needed operating parameters for the planned field-scale demonstration. These laboratory-scale ''proof-of-principle'' and pilot-scale studies also provide needed data for the evaluation of the feasibility of vitrification as a stabilization option for a variety of wastes which do not currently meet RCRA/LDR (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act/Land Disposal Restrictions) requirements for storage/disposal and/or those for which treatment capacity does not presently exist

The predation of wildlife by domestic cats (Felis catus) is a complex problem: Cats are popular companion animals in modern society but are also acknowledged predators of birds, herpetofauna, invertebrates, and small mammals. A comprehensive understanding of this conservation issue demands an understanding of both the ecological consequence of owning a domestic cat and the attitudes of cat owners. Here, we determine whether cat owners are aware of the predatory behavior of their cats, using data collected from 86 cats in two UK villages. We examine whether the amount of prey their cat returns influences the attitudes of 45 cat owners toward the broader issue of domestic cat predation. We also contribute to the wider understanding of physiological, spatial, and behavioral drivers of prey returns among cats. We find an association between actual prey returns and owner predictions at the coarse scale of predatory/nonpredatory behavior, but no correlation between the observed and predicted prey-return rates among predatory cats. Cat owners generally disagreed with the statement that cats are harmful to wildlife, and disfavored all mitigation options apart from neutering. These attitudes were uncorrelated with the predatory behavior of their cats. Cat owners failed to perceive the magnitude of their cats' impacts on wildlife and were not influenced by ecological information. Management options for the mitigation of cat predation appear unlikely to work if they focus on "predation awareness" campaigns or restrictions of cat freedom. PMID:26306163

Full Text Available Pathogens feed on fruits and vegetables causing great food losses or at least reduction of their shelf life. These pathogens can cause losses of the final product or in the farms were the products are grown, attacking leaves, stems and trees. This review analyses disease detection sensors and algorithms for both the farm and postharvest management of fruit and vegetable quality. Mango, avocado, apple, tomato, potato, citrus and grapes were selected as the fruits and vegetables for study due to their world-wide consumption. Disease warning systems for predicting pathogens and insects on farms during fruit and vegetable production are commonly used for all the crops and are available where meteorological stations are present. It can be seen that these disease risk systems are being slowly replaced by remote sensing monitoring in developed countries. Satellite images have reduced their temporal resolution, but are expensive and must become cheaper for their use world-wide. In the last 30 years, a lot of research has been carried out in non-destructive sensors for food quality. Actually, non-destructive technology has been applied for sorting high quality fruit which is desired by the consumer. The sensors require algorithms to work properly; the most used being discriminant analysis and training neural networks. New algorithms will be required due to the high quantity of data acquired and its processing, and for disease warning strategies for disease detection.

Full Text Available Data quality is crucial in today’s business processes, as it is generally associated with the set of data fit for use by data consumers - the persons that access, interpret and use data during their work activity. On the other hand, data quality is very important for the Accounting Information Systems’ (AIS success, where AIS is a computer-based system that processes financial data and supports the decision making processes inside the organization. There are empirical evidences showing that data quality level in AIS has been and will always be problematic. Their interrelationship is dependant of several factors, including technical capacities or even the level of teamwork in an organization. This paper tries to analyze the actual performance of the factors influencing in the process of data quality in AIS used from organizations in Albania. The results will be compared with state-of-art literature review regarding the factors perceived as critical factors in ensuring data quality in AIS, giving way to some important concluding remarks.

Actual molecular strategies in therapy of lymphoma attempt to utilize the immune system to target and eliminate residual lymphoma cells after first line therapy. Therefore lymphoma-specific vaccines are used. Therapy was already successful in vitro, in vivo studies are planned for the near future. In the past two decades, prognosis of lymphoma patients has improved due to advances in staging as well as in therapy control. The introduction of duplex sonography allows the decision on dignity of suspicious lymph nodes not only by size criteria but also by different perfusion pattern. Similar advances have been made in cross sectional imaging like computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The development of lymph node specific contrast agents present new tools for further investigation. In nuclear medicine, functional imaging using positron-emission tomography presents new perspectives especially in diagnosis and treatment control of malignant lymphoma. The visualization of the glucose metabolism using the radiolabeled glucose analogue fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) allows the detection of involved lymph nodes independent of arbitrary criteria such as lesion diameter. First studies on the use of FDG-PET in staging and restaging of lymphoma patients show promising results. (orig.)

Corrections can be used to estimate actual wetland evapotranspiration (AET) from potential evapotranspiration (PET) as a means to define the hydrology of wetland areas. Many alternate parameterizations for correction coefficients for three PET equations are presented, covering a wide range of possible data-availability scenarios. At nine sites in the wetland Everglades of south Florida, USA, the relatively complex PET Penman equation was corrected to daily total AET with smaller standard errors than the PET simple and Priestley-Taylor equations. The simpler equations, however, required less data (and thus less funding for instrumentation), with the possibility of being corrected to AET with slightly larger, comparable, or even smaller standard errors. Air temperature generally corrected PET simple most effectively to wetland AET, while wetland stage and humidity generally corrected PET Priestley-Taylor and Penman most effectively to wetland AET. Stage was identified for PET Priestley-Taylor and Penman as the data type with the most correction ability at sites that are dry part of each year or dry part of some years. Finally, although surface water generally was readily available at each monitoring site, AET was not occurring at potential rates, as conceptually expected under well-watered conditions. Apparently, factors other than water availability, such as atmospheric and stomata resistances to vapor transport, also were limiting the PET rate. ?? 2006, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To develop high quality products, a designer has to consider various influential factors, one of which is ergonomics. And to fashion a specific product for the user, a designer needs expert knowledge of the user’s requirements. However, expert knowledge can also be accessed through an intelligent advisory system for ergonomic design support. The effectiveness of such an expert system depends mainly on the quality of the knowledge base and on the appropriateness of the system's inference engine. Data for the system’s knowledge base can be collected in different ways. One approach is to study relevant projects to collect appropriate ergonomic solutions; another is to recognise bottlenecks in ergonomic design. This paper presents a case study of the design of an actual chainsaw – with emphasis on ergonomic design solutions – that can be transformed into ergonomic design recommendations. At the end of the paper, an application of one of the derived recommendations within the knowledge base of the intelligent advisory system is presented.

Offering engineers a thorough examination of special, more advanced aspects of digital wideband receiver design, this practical book builds on fundamental resources on the topic, helping you gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. This in-depth volume presents a detailed look at a complete receiver design, including the encoder. Moreover, it discusses the detection of exotic signals and provides authoritative guidance on designing receivers used in electronic warfare. From frequency modulation and biphase shifting keys, to parameter encoders in electronic warfare receivers and

Six receivers for the MicroWave Radiometer (MWR) are currently under development at JPL. These receivers cover a frequency range of 0.6 to 22 GHz in approximately octave steps, with 4 % bandwidth. For calibration and diagnosis three noise diodes and a Dicke switch are integrated into each receiver. Each receiver is connected to its own antenna which is mounted with its bore sights perpendicular to the spin axis of the spacecraft. As the spacecraft spins at 2 RPM, the antenna field of view scans Jupiter's atmosphere from limb to nadir to limb, measuring microwave emission down to 1000-bar.

Full Text Available The paper presents the design, simulation and construction results of the wavelength division multiplex (WDM optical hybrid receiver module for the passive optical network (PON. The optical WDM receiver was constructed using system of three micromodules in the new circle topology. The optical micromodule contains multimode fiber pigtail 50/125 µm, VHGT filter with collimation lens and two microwave optoelectronics receiver micromodules (OE receiver micromodules. OE receiver micromodules were designed by use small signal equivalent electrical circuit model and noise model, from which the mathematically solved the transmittance function, which was used for calculation and simulation of the optimal frequency characteristics and signal to noise ratio. For determine the limit frequency of OE receiver micromodule, the transcendent equation with transmittance function was numerically solved. OE receiver micromodule was composed of decollimation lenses and microwave optoelectronics receivers with bandwidth 2,5 GHz and alternatively in SMD technology with bandwidth 1,25 GHz, using the thin layer hybrid technology. WDM receiver use radiation 1490 nm for internet and 1550 nm for digital TV signals download information.

With the advent of ubiquitous computing there are two design parameters of wireless communication devices that become very important: power efficiency and production cost. Compressive sensing enables the receiver in such devices to sample below the Shannon-Nyquist sampling rate, which may lead to a...... Compressive Spread Spectrum (CSS), allows for a simple, effective receiver design. Furthermore, we numerically evaluate the proposed receiver in terms of bit error rate under different signal to noise ratio conditions and compare it with other receiver structures. These numerical experiments show that though...

The "nursing process" is a systematic decision-making approach to problem solving based on open-system theory. This theory assumes that there is an on-going interchange between all system components. Components cannot be viewed in isolation, because decisions regarding one component will affect other components. Receivables management is similar to the nursing process, in that it involves constant diagnosis, assessment, and intervention in the work in process during all phases of the receivables cycle. In experiments that applied the nursing process concept to the management of accounts receivable in several hospitals, gross days in accounts receivable were reduced and cash flow was increased. PMID:10145682

... Similar Occupations More Info Summary Social and human service assistants help clients to identify and obtain benefits and services. Quick ... and Human Service Assistants Do Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide ...

Wireless communication is susceptible to adversarial eavesdropping due to the broadcast nature of the wireless medium. In this paper it is shown how eavesdropping can be alleviated by exploiting the superposition property of the wireless medium. A wiretap channel with a helping interferer (WT-HI), in which a transmitter sends a confidential message to its intended receiver in the presence of a passive eavesdropper, and with the help of an independent interferer, is considered. The interferer, which does not know the confidential message, helps in ensuring the secrecy of the message by sending independent signals. An achievable secrecy rate for the WT-HI is given. The results show that interference can be exploited to assist secrecy in wireless communications. An important example of the Gaussian case, in which the interferer has a better channel to the intended receiver than to the eavesdropper, is considered. In this situation, the interferer can send a (random) codeword at a rate that ensures that it can be...

This article presents a CMOS receiver that works for 3-5GHz low band SC-UWB. The receiver contains PLL, Mixer, and VGA. Double down conversion is adopted in the receiver to overcome the orthogonal clock design difficulty; digital assisted RF control method is used to increase the stability. This...... receiver was fabricated in SMIC01.8mmRF process with chip area of 1 × 1 mm2 ;according to measurement, this receiver has bandwidth of 500MHz; VGA control range is 30dB; IIP3 is -10dBm;IF port output is 250mVp-p; the power consumption is 36mW with supplying voltage 1.8V....

Robotic surgery has evolved over the last decade to compensate for limitations in human dexterity. It avoids the need for a trained assistant while decreasing error rates such as perforations. The nature of the robotic assistance varies from voice activated camera control to more elaborate telerobotic systems such as the Zeus and the Da Vinci where the surgeon controls the robotic arms using a console. Herein, we report the first series of robotic assisted colectomies in Ireland using a voice activated camera control system.

Full Text Available ... joysticks and his feet pressing on pedals to control these robotic instruments. There’s almost always an assistant ... Sure. To help divide the tissue and to control bleeding. Right now I’m going to clean ...

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is used to treat infertility. It includes fertility treatments that handle both a woman's egg ... back in the woman's body. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common and effective type of ...

Full Text Available ... prostatic fossa. Okay. This is where the prostate sat. If you look at the bottom of the ... as assistant, and I am waiting for the new instruments to be inserted so we can perform ...

Assisted circulation by extracorporeal and extracardiac bypass techniques must be based on the requirements of the heart and of the total body, though these may differ. The cardiac problem in cardiogenic shock is more likely to be a biventricular problem demanding decompression of both sides. Extra pulmonary oxygenation should be avoided because of complexity in long-term use. Principles of assisted circulation may be applied in an extra-thoracic temporary manner or as an intracorporeal long-...

We describe a theoretical framework for understanding the heteronuclear version of the third spin assisted recoupling polarization transfer mechanism and demonstrate its potential for detecting long-distance intramolecular and intermolecular 15N–13C contacts in biomolecular systems. The pulse sequence, proton assisted insensitive nuclei cross polarization (PAIN-CP) relies on a cross term between 1H–15N and 1H–13C dipolar couplings to mediate zero- and/or double-quantum 15N–13C recoupling. In ...

Cardiogenic shock occurs in about 10% of the 1.5 million patients who suffer myocardial infarction and in approximately 1% of the 200,000 patients who undergo open-heart surgery each year. The ventricular assist device decreases the workload of the failing ventricles and increases the blood flow through the coronary system. Recovery of failing myocardium after mechanical circulatory assistance has been well documented; however, the mechanisms that contribute to the recovery of a failing heart...

Each person's genome sequence has thousands of missense variants. Practical interpretation of their functional significance must rely on computational inferences in the absence of exhaustive experimental measurements. Here we analyzed the efficacy of these inferences in 33 de novo missense mutations revealed by sequencing in first-generation progeny of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-treated mice, involving 23 essential immune system genes. PolyPhen2, SIFT, MutationAssessor, Panther, CADD, and Condel were used to predict each mutation's functional importance, whereas the actual effect was measured by breeding and testing homozygotes for the expected in vivo loss-of-function phenotype. Only 20% of mutations predicted to be deleterious by PolyPhen2 (and 15% by CADD) showed a discernible phenotype in individual homozygotes. Half of all possible missense mutations in the same 23 immune genes were predicted to be deleterious, and most of these appear to become subject to purifying selection because few persist between separate mouse substrains, rodents, or primates. Because defects in immune genes could be phenotypically masked in vivo by compensation and environment, we compared inferences by the same tools with the in vitro phenotype of all 2,314 possible missense variants in TP53; 42% of mutations predicted by PolyPhen2 to be deleterious (and 45% by CADD) had little measurable consequence for TP53-promoted transcription. We conclude that for de novo or low-frequency missense mutations found by genome sequencing, half those inferred as deleterious correspond to nearly neutral mutations that have little impact on the clinical phenotype of individual cases but will nevertheless become subject to purifying selection. PMID:26269570

Reliable cost estimating is one of the most important elements of decommissioning planning. Alternative technologies may be evaluated and compared based on their efficiency and effectiveness, and measured against a baseline cost as to the feasibility and benefits derived from the technology. When the plan is complete, those cost considerations ensure that it is economically sound and practical for funding.Estimates of decommissioning costs have been performed and published by many organizations for many different applications. The results often vary because of differences in the work scope. Labour force costs, monetary considerations, oversight costs, the specific contaminated materials involved, the waste stream and peripheral costs associated with that type of waste, or applicable environmental compliance requirements. Many of the differences in cost estimates are unavoidable since a reasonable degree of reliability and accuracy can only be achieved by developing decommissioning cost estimates on a case-by- case site-specific basis. The paper describes the estimating methodology and process applied to develop decommissioning cost estimates. A major effort has been made to standardize methodologies, and to understand the assumptions and bases that drive the costs. However, estimates are only as accurate as the information available from which to derive the costs. This information includes the assumptions of scope of the work, labour cost inputs, inflationary effects, and financial analyses that project these costs to year of expenditure. Attempts at comparison of estimates for two facilities of similar design and size must clearly identify the assumptions used in developing the estimate, and comparison of actual costs versus estimated costs must reflect these same assumptions. For the nuclear industry to grow, decommissioning estimating tools must improve to keep pace with changing technology, regulations and stakeholder issues. (author)

In the following work, we propose an assessment of wind potential in Algeria. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, to draw the attention to the important wind potential in the region of Hassi-R'mel anti v{approx}6m/s. In the previous maps, the wind potential in this region has been underestimated due the fact that it is located between two less windy regions. Second, the actualization of the wind map of Algeria using very recent data stretching from February 2004 to December 2009. This paper is structured in three main parts. First, a stochastic and the cyclic study of the wind behaviors in the site of Hassi-R'mel are proposed. The stochastic study is carried out by fitting the wind speed data to Weibull distribution while the cyclic study is carried out via the use of time-frequency analysis. We have used the time-frequency analyses instead of the traditional Fourier analysis due its ability to follow the spectrum variation with respect to time. As results, it has been found that spectrum wind process enfold many limited interval oscillations. In the second part, we propose to contribute to the actualisation of the wind map in Algeria. In this part, we have considered also the topographical aspect of Algeria. Such consideration is very helpful for understanding the wind potential reparation over the country. Finally, a techno-economical study of a stand along hybrid system (wind/diesel) in the site of Hassi-R'mel is considered. Via this study, it has been found that been found that the site of Hassi-R'mel is very adequate for wind energy conversion systems. (author)

Full Text Available Beaked whales have mass stranded during some naval sonar exercises, but the cause is unknown. They are difficult to sight but can reliably be detected by listening for echolocation clicks produced during deep foraging dives. Listening for these clicks, we documented Blainville's beaked whales, Mesoplodon densirostris, in a naval underwater range where sonars are in regular use near Andros Island, Bahamas. An array of bottom-mounted hydrophones can detect beaked whales when they click anywhere within the range. We used two complementary methods to investigate behavioral responses of beaked whales to sonar: an opportunistic approach that monitored whale responses to multi-day naval exercises involving tactical mid-frequency sonars, and an experimental approach using playbacks of simulated sonar and control sounds to whales tagged with a device that records sound, movement, and orientation. Here we show that in both exposure conditions beaked whales stopped echolocating during deep foraging dives and moved away. During actual sonar exercises, beaked whales were primarily detected near the periphery of the range, on average 16 km away from the sonar transmissions. Once the exercise stopped, beaked whales gradually filled in the center of the range over 2-3 days. A satellite tagged whale moved outside the range during an exercise, returning over 2-3 days post-exercise. The experimental approach used tags to measure acoustic exposure and behavioral reactions of beaked whales to one controlled exposure each of simulated military sonar, killer whale calls, and band-limited noise. The beaked whales reacted to these three sound playbacks at sound pressure levels below 142 dB re 1 µPa by stopping echolocation followed by unusually long and slow ascents from their foraging dives. The combined results indicate similar disruption of foraging behavior and avoidance by beaked whales in the two different contexts, at exposures well below those used by

Full Text Available Modern pig farming is a leading global livestock industry, but the organization of adequate balanced feeding is actual for the industry. Digestibility of metabolizable energy of feed depends on various factors, including the content of non-starch polysaccharides, which have a negative effect on the digestibility of key nutrients of the feed, lead to a decrease in growth rate and conversion efficiency of nutrients. Enzyme preparations which composition generally includes Xylanase, cellulase, β-glucanase activities, may avoid the negative impact of non-starch polysaccharides. Today's promising preparation that combines the functions of two feed additives - feed enzyme and probiotic, is an enzyme preparation Cellobacterin that, due to the particular organization of the enzyme complex, increases the digestibility of barley grain and effectively effects on sunflower meal. As a probiotic preparation it inhibits the development of pathogenic microorganisms and promotes the formation of beneficial microflora in the digestive tract. The introduction of Cellobacterin enzyme preparation into the compound feed with a high content of barley grain and sunflower meal increases the body weight of young pigs by 4.8% and reduces the cost of feed per 1 kg of live weight gain. The results of hematological studies found no significant deviations from the physiological norm in the morphological picture of the blood in experimental animals. The group, where Cellobacterin was added, showed higher vitamin A content by 2.8% as compared to the control, while vitamin E is found in both groups on the same level. Based on the results of the research to improve the productivity and growth rate in compound feed based on barley and sunflower meal with higher fiber content, it is recommended to include in the compound feed Cellobacterin enzyme preparation at the rate of 1 kg per 1 ton of feed

Full Text Available The article presents the overview of linguistic research on gastronomic / gluttony communicative environment as ethnocultural phenomenon from the standpoint of conceptology, discourse study and linguosemiotics. The authors study the linguosemiotic encoding / decoding in the English gastronomic (gluttony discourse. The peculiarities of gastronomic gluttonyms "immersion" into everyday communication are studied. The anglophone ethnicities are revealed and different ways of gluttony texts (including the precedent ones formation are investigated. The linguosemiotic parameters of ethnocultural (anglophone gastronomic coded communication are established, their discursive characteristics are identified. It is determined that in English gastronomic communication, the discursive actualization of ethno-linguocultural code has a dynamic nature; the constitutive features of gastronomic discourse have symbolic (semiotic basics and are connected with such semiotic categories as code, encoding, decoding. It was found that food is semiotic in its origin and represents the cultural code. It was revealed that the semiosis of English gastronomic text is regularly filled with the codes of traditional "English-likeness" (ethnic term by Roland Barthes expressed by gluttonyms. "Nationality" code is detected through the names of products specific to certain areas; national identity of ethnic code also allows highlighting ways of dish garnishing and serving, typical characteristics of particular local preparation methods. The authors analyze the "lingualization" of food images having an ambivalent character, determined, firstly, by food signs (gluttonyms which structure the common space of gastronomic discourse and provide it with ethnic linguocultural food source; secondly, by immerging formed images into a specific ethnic code that is decoded in gastronomic discourse unfolding. The precedent texts accumulate ethnic information supplying adequate gastronomic worldview

The student materials present exercises designed to simulate the job performed by a cashier/accounts receivable clerk. The content of the course covers job instructions, writing receipts, proving cash, customer accounts, preparing statements, and schedule of accounts receivable. Also included in the document are a pretest and post test for the…

Heat-energy analysis program (HEAP) solves general heat-transfer problems, with some specific features that are "custom made" for analyzing solar receivers. Can be utilized not only to predict receiver performance under varying solar flux, ambient temperature and local heat-transfer rates but also to detect locations of hotspots and metallurgical difficulties and to predict performance sensitivity of neighboring component parameters.

For a few years now, there has been a high interest in monitoring the global ship traffic from space. A few satellite, capable of listening for ship borne AIS transponders have already been launched, and soon the AAUSAT3, carrying two different types of AIS receivers will also be launched. One of...... the AIS receivers onboard AAUSAT3 is an SDR based AIS receiver. This paper serves to describe the background of the AIS system, and how the SDR based receiver has been integrated into the AAUSAT3 satellite. Amongst some of the benefits of using an SDR based receiver is, that due to its versatility......, new detection algorithms are easily deployed, and it is easily adapted the new proposed AIS transmission channels....

The problem of joint source-channel coding in transmitting independent sources over interference channels with correlated receiver side information is studied. When each receiver has side information correlated with its own desired source, it is shown that source-channel code separation is optimal. When each receiver has side information correlated with the interfering source, sufficient conditions for reliable transmission are provided based on a joint source-channel coding scheme using the superposition encoding and partial decoding idea of Han and Kobayashi. When the receiver side information is a deterministic function of the interfering source, source-channel code separation is again shown to be optimal. As a special case, for a class of Z-interference channels, when the side information of the receiver facing interference is a deterministic function of the interfering source, necessary and sufficient conditions for reliable transmission are provided in the form of single letter expressions. As a byprodu...

Full Text Available Khalid H Zawawi Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Objective: To study patients’ acceptance of corticotomy-assisted orthodontics as a treatment option.Methods: Adult patients seeking orthodontic treatment were asked to complete two sets of questionnaires; the first set included questions about age, sex, and level of education and general questions about orthodontic treatment; and the second set was related to the corticotomy-assisted orthodontics. Before answering the corticotomy questions, a brief description of the clinical procedure was explained and photographs of an actual procedure were shown.Results: A total of 150 subjects were approached and 129 (86% agreed to answer the questionnaires (72 male and 57 female patients. Of these, only 3.1% did hear about corticotomy and 7.8% selected corticotomy instead of extraction. Fear from the surgery (53.2% was the most frequent reason for not selecting corticotomy followed by fear from pain (36.9%. The acceptance of corticotomy between males and females was similar. No relationship was found between the level of education and prior knowledge of the procedure, P=0.857. Prior knowledge about corticotomy was not a factor in selecting it as a treatment option (P=0.556 to reduce the treatment time (P=0.427.Conclusion: The acceptance of corticotomy-assisted orthodontics as a treatment option was low. Fear from the surgery was the main reason for not selecting it. The acceptance of corticotomy-assisted orthodontics was not related to patient’s level of education or sex. Keywords: orthodontic treatment, corticotomy-assisted orthodontics, patient acceptance, cross sectional survey, alveolar decortication

Designed to measure self-actualization as defined by Abraham Maslow, the Jones Self Actualizing Scale, as assessed in this study, possesses content validity, reliability, and a number of other positive characteristics. (JC)

The Plant Control System (PCS) is a heterogeneous computer system composed of numerous sub-systems. The PCS represents every major computer system that is used to support operation of the Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) facility. This document, the System Design Description (PCS SDD), includes several chapters and appendices. Each chapter is devoted to a separate PCS sub-system. Typically, each chapter includes an overview description of the system, a list of associated documents related to operation of that system, and a detailed description of relevant system features. Each appendice provides configuration information for selected PCS sub-systems. The appendices are designed as separate sections to assist in maintaining this document due to frequent changes in system configurations. This document is intended to serve as the primary reference for configuration of PCS computer systems. The use of this document is further described in the WRAP System Configuration Management Plan, WMH-350, Section 4.1

The Plant Control System (PCS) is a heterogeneous computer system composed of numerous sub-systems. The PCS represents every major computer system that is used to support operation of the Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) facility. This document, the System Design Description (PCS SDD), includes several chapters and appendices. Each chapter is devoted to a separate PCS sub-system. Typically, each chapter includes an overview description of the system, a list of associated documents related to operation of that system, and a detailed description of relevant system features. Each appendice provides configuration information for selected PCS sub-systems. The appendices are designed as separate sections to assist in maintaining this document due to frequent changes in system configurations. This document is intended to serve as the primary reference for configuration of PCS computer systems. The use of this document is further described in the WRAP System Configuration Management Plan, WMH-350, Section 4.1.

In Precise Point Positioning (PPP), hardware delays at the receiver site (receiver, cables, antenna, …) are always difficult to be separated from the estimated receiver clock parameters. As a result, they are partially or fully contained in the estimated "apparent" clocks and will influence the deterministic and stochastic modelling of the receiver clock behaviour. In this contribution, using three years of data, the receiver clock corrections of a set of high-precision Hydrogen Masers (H-Masers) connected to stations of the ESA/ESOC network and the International GNSS Service (IGS) are firstly characterized concerning clock offsets, drifts, modified Allan deviations and stochastic parameters. In a second step, the apparent behaviour of the clocks is modelled with the help of a low-order polynomial and a known temperature coefficient (Weinbach, 2013). The correlations between the temperature and the hardware delays generated by different types of antennae are then analysed looking at daily, 3-day and weekly time intervals. The outcome of these analyses is crucial, if we intend to model the receiver clocks in the ground station network to improve the estimation of station-related parameters like coordinates, troposphere zenith delays and ambiguities. References: Weinbach, U. (2013) Feasibility and impact of receiver clock modeling in precise GPS data analysis. Dissertation, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany.

While much of the current literature on GPS receivers is aimed at those intimately familiar with their workings, this volume summarizes the basic principles using as little mathematics as possible, and details the necessary specifications and circuits for constructing a GPS receiver that is accurate to within 300 meters. Dedicated sections deal with the features of the GPS signal and its data stream, the details of the receiver (using a hybrid design as exemplar), and more advanced receivers and topics including time and frequency measurements. Later segments discuss the Zarlink GPS receiver chip set, as well as providing a thorough examination of the TurboRogue receiver, one of the most accurate yet made. Guiding the reader through the concepts and circuitry, from the antenna to the solution of user position, the book’s deployment of a hybrid receiver as a basis for discussion allows for extrapolation of the core ideas to more complex, and more accurate designs. Digital methods are used, but any analogue c...

Highly sensitive terahertz heterodyne receivers have been mostly single-pixel. However, now there is a real need of multi-pixel array receivers at these frequencies driven by the science and instrument requirements. In this paper we explore various receiver font-end and antenna architectures for use in multi-pixel integrated arrays at terahertz frequencies. Development of wafer-level integrated terahertz receiver front-end by using advanced semiconductor fabrication technologies has progressed very well over the past few years. Novel stacking of micro-machined silicon wafers which allows for the 3-dimensional integration of various terahertz receiver components in extremely small packages has made it possible to design multi-pixel heterodyne arrays. One of the critical technologies to achieve fully integrated system is the antenna arrays compatible with the receiver array architecture. In this paper we explore different receiver and antenna architectures for multi-pixel heterodyne and direct detector arrays for various applications such as multi-pixel high resolution spectrometer and imaging radar at terahertz frequencies.

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore an objective measure to assess actual body shape of children and adolescents in China. Methods Based on the Chinese National Survey on Student’s Constitution and Health (CNSSCH) in 2005, 210 927 children and adolescents' (7-18 years) body height, body weight, chest circumference, sitting height, chest circumference-height ratio, chest circumference-sitting height ratio, chest circumference-low limb ratio, and sitting height-low limb ratio measurements were used to develop an objective measure by using transformation variables and explored factor analysis (EFA). Discrimination power of the objective measure was evaluated based on BMI reference and Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROC). Results The objective measure included four dimensions scores:transverse dimension (TD) indicating weight and chest circumference; length dimension (LD) indicating height and sitting height;transverse-length ratio dimension (TLD) indicating chest circumference-height ratio, chest circumference-sitting height and chest circumference-low limb ratio; proportion dimension (PD) indicating sitting height-low limb ratio. The whole dimension (WD) indicating the whole body shape was showed by the average of four dimensions scores. Four dimensions and WD scores were approximately 80 in children and adolescents with normal weight, and higher than those of overweight, obesity, and underweight (all P-values Conclusion The objective measure which included four dimensions was explored, and TD, TLD, and WD had significant discrimination power.

A bivariate probit model was used to examine the relationship between actual and intended purchase of irradiated beef. The likelihood ratio test rejected the equality of parameters affecting actual and intended purchase decisions. Actual purchases were affected by package labels and appearance, while purchase intentions were affected by attitude and demographics.

A study of 140 Polish secondary students with high and medium abilities and high and low levels of self-actualization found gifted students had a significantly higher level of self-actualization, whereas gifted and self-actualizing students had a significantly higher need for intellectual stimulation and a higher level of self-acceptance.…

This study examined the effects of a weekend marathon on the level of self-actualization of college students one and four weeks following their group experience. It also studied the relationship between ego strength and extent of change in self-actualization during a marathon. Generally, the group experience did increase self-actualization and the…

Recent advances in effective antimicrobial prophylactic strategies have led to a decline in the incidence of opportunistic infections in liver transplant recipients.However, morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases remain as major problems. Bacterial infections occurring early after transplant are mainly related to the technical aspects of the procedure. By contrast,after the first postoperative days and beyond, the nature and variety of infectious complications change.Opportunistic bacterial infections are uncommon after 6 mo in patients receiving stable and reduced maintenance doses of immunosuppression with good graft function and little is documented about these cases in the literature. Transplant recipients may be more susceptible to some pathogens, such as the Nocardia species, Legionella species, Listeria monocytogenes , Mycoplasma species, Salmonella species or Rhodococcus equi. Respiratory infections due to capsulated bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza, can be lifethreatening if not promptly treated in this population.These late bacterial infections may be very difficult to recognize and treat in this population. In this article,we review what has been described in the literature with regards to late bacterial infections following liver transplantation.

This study mapped the solar radiation received by slopes for all of Korea, including areas that are not measured by ground station measurements, through using satellites and topographical data. When estimating insolation with satellite, we used a physical model to measure the amount of hourly based solar surface insolation. Furthermore, we also considered the effects of topography using the Global Land One-Kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) digital elevation model (DEM) for the actual amount of...

The Submillimeter Array (SMA) was conceived at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in 1984 as a six element interferometer to operate in the major atmospheric windows from about 200 to 900 GHz. In 1996, the Academica Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics of Taiwan joined the project and agreed to provide additional hardware to expand the interferometer to eight elements. All eight antennas are now operating at the observatory site on Mauna Kea, and astronomical observations have been made in the 230, 345, and 650 GHz bands. The SMA antennas have a diameter of 6 m, a surface accuracy of better than 25 micron rms, and can be reconfigured to provide spatial resolutions down to about 0.5" at 200 GHz and, eventually, 0.1" at 850 GHz. Coupling to the receiver package within each antenna is achieved via a beam waveguide, in a bent Nasmyth configuration, comprised of a flat tertiary mirror and two ellipsoidal mirrors that form a secondary pupil used for receiver calibration. An additional fixed mirror and a rotating wire grid polarizer are then used for receiver selection. Each antenna houses a single cryostat, with an integrated cryocooler capable of cooling up to eight receivers to 4 K. In the current configuration only three receiver bands are available: 175-255 GHz, 250-350 GHz, and 600-720 GHz, and simultaneous operation of the 650 GHz receiver with either of the lower frequency receivers is possible. Eventually dual polarization will be available from 325-350 GHz, and dual frequency operation will be possible, pairing either of the lower frequency receivers with any of the high frequency units: 325-425 GHz, 425-510 GHz, 600-720 GHz, and 800-900 GHz. Each receiver currently uses a single superconductor-insulator-superconductor junction as the mixing element, and has first stage intermediate frequency amplification at 4 K with an instantaneous bandwidth of 2.5 GHz, centered at 5 GHz. The mixers are of a fixed-tuned waveguide design, are inherently broad

The article presents a new concept of software-based GNSS receivers because of its advantages in flexibility and possibility of reconfiguration. The aim is to develop a receiver for navigation signals of the Galileo system testbed, the Giove-A and Giove-B. The receiver must be able to acquire, track and demodulate signals "BOC" system. For this test different techniques, both in the acquisition and follow-up. Also developed a configurable signal generator for testing and a graphical user inte...

Firstly,conception of farmers’ equal material assistance rights is introduced from the aspects of equal rights,material assistance rights,and farmers’ equal material assistance rights.Value function of farmers’ equal material assistance rights is pointed out,which can eliminate the partial policies with urban priority orientation.It is a necessary condition for maintaining the legal and institutional authority,as well as an inevitable choice to realize the social justice and harmony.Current status of the law absence of farmers’ equal material assistance rights in China is introduced,which is reflected in the lack of theoretical research on farmers’ equal material assistance rights in the law circle,the lack of procedural legal system of farmers’ equal material assistance rights at present,and the lack of actual law effectiveness of farmers’ equal material assistance rights at present.System construction is a turning point to change the law absence of farmers’ material assistance rights.Government should promote the economic development,provide material bases for the system construction of farmers’ material assistance rights,enhance the legal consciousness of farmers,cultivate the ability of farmers to participate in equal material assistance rights,strengthen the procedural legislation and judicial justice,and ensure the farmers’ material assistance rights.

Full Text Available ... you have a telescope that’s inserted into the abdominal cavity. And this scope actually has two scopes integrated ... abdominal surgery or an extensive infection in the abdominal cavity that might make the surgery more difficult. But ...

Full Text Available ... increasing the intra-abdominal pressure. This pressure actually causes a tamping on the vessels or squeezing the blood ... and the pelvis to maintain continuity of the urinary tract. Once again, as the prostate -- excuse me, as the urethra exits ...

Full Text Available ... move to a lab. Actually, there is an animal lab where we actually do a set of objectives, certain procedures, on an anesthetized animal, and then, once you’ve successfully met those ...

Full Text Available ... system completely eradicates all normal tremor that a human hand might have. And as a standard laparoscopic ... move to a lab. Actually, there is an animal lab where we actually do a set of ...

This is an attempt to develop a biotelemetry receiver using digital signal processing technology and techniques. The receiver developed in this work is based on recovering signals that have been encoded using either Pulse Position Modulation (PPM) or Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) technique. A prototype has been developed using state-of-the-art digital signal processing technology. A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is being developed based on the technique and technology described here. This board is intended to be used in the UCSF Fetal Monitoring system developed at NASA. The board is capable of handling a variety of PPM and PCM signals encoding signals such as ECG, temperature, and pressure. A signal processing program has also been developed to analyze the received ECG signal to determine heart rate. This system provides a base for using digital signal processing in biotelemetry receivers and other similar applications.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The best low-noise receiver solutions for frequencies above about 800 GHz rely on either a low-noise bolometric direct detector or a hot electron bolometric mixer....

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The technical objective of this SBIR program is to develop and demonstrate metal mesh filters for use in NASA's low noise receivers for terahertz astronomy and...

This paper presents the development of an ATSC terrestrial data receiver to be used in multimedia datacasting for remote and rural communities. In the context of a project put forward at the Communications Research Centre Canada to deliver interactive multimedia to remote and rural areas in Canada, a receiver capable of extracting Internet Packets (IP) as well as video and audio transport streams (TS) based on the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) terrestrial digital television system is developed. This paper describes the design, implementation, functionality, as well as several applications of this receiver which plays an important role in the interactive multimedia datacasting system. The ATSC terrestrial transmission chain from the server at the transmitter site to the receiver (client) at the end-user's premise is presented. A number of possible implementations for a return channel are proposed. Preliminary results of laboratory trials as well as plans for field trials are presented.

Digital coherent receivers have gained significant attention in the last decade. The reason for this is that coherent detection, along with digital signal processing (DSP) allows for substantial increase of the channel capacity by employing advanced detection techniques. In this paper, we first......, orthonormaliation, chromatic dispersion compensation/nonlinear compensation, resampling a nd timing recovery, polarization demultiplexing and equalization, frequency and phase recovery, digital demodulation. We also describe novel subsystems of a digital coherent receiver: modulation format recognition and...

The Auditory Prosthesis (AP) is an electronic device that can provide hearing sensations to people who are profoundly deaf by stimulating the auditory nerve via an array of electrodes with an electric current allowing them to understand the speech. The AP system consists of two hardware functional units such as Body Worn Speech Processor (BWSP) and Receiver Stimulator. The prototype model of Receiver Stimulator for Auditory Prosthesis (RSAP) consists of Speech Data Decoder, DAC, ADC, constant...

This memo summarizes the results of the Formal (90%) Design Review process and meetings held to evaluate the design of the Flexible Receiver Adapters, support platforms, and associated equipment. The equipment is part of the Flexible Receiver System used to remove, transport, and store long length contaminated equipment and components from both the double and single-shell underground storage tanks at the 200 area tank farms

As an interface between radio receiver front-ends and digital signal processing blocks, sampling devices play a dominant role in digital radio communications. As an interface between radio receiver front-ends and digital signal processing blocks, sampling devices play a dominant role in digital radio communications. Based on different sampling theorems (e.g., classic Shannon’s sampling theorem, Papoulis’ Generalized sampling theorem, bandpass sampling theory), signals are processed by the sam...

Due to the continuously increasing computational power of modern data receivers it is possible to move more and more processing from the analog to the digital domain. This paper presents a compressed sensing approach to relaxing the analog filtering requirements prior to the ADCs in a direct conversion receiver. In the presented solution, the filtered down-convertedradio signals are randomly sampled with an average sampling frequency lower than its Nyquist rate, and then reconstructed in a DS...

An iterative receiver is proposed based on the EM (Expectation-Maximization)algorithm for an OFDM-SDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing-Space Division Multiple Access) system. By using a few pilots in every OFDM symbol, both channel estimation and multiuser detection can be simultaneously obtained by iteration. The computer simulation results show this receiver can track channel variations and detect multiuser symbols for different number of users under time-varying multipath channels.

Existing software has been modified to yield the benefits of integer fixed double-differenced GPS-phased ambiguities when processing data from a single GPS receiver with no access to any other GPS receiver data. When the double-differenced combination of phase biases can be fixed reliably, a significant improvement in solution accuracy is obtained. This innovation uses a large global set of GPS receivers (40 to 80 receivers) to solve for the GPS satellite orbits and clocks (along with any other parameters). In this process, integer ambiguities are fixed and information on the ambiguity constraints is saved. For each GPS transmitter/receiver pair, the process saves the arc start and stop times, the wide-lane average value for the arc, the standard deviation of the wide lane, and the dual-frequency phase bias after bias fixing for the arc. The second step of the process uses the orbit and clock information, the bias information from the global solution, and only data from the single receiver to resolve double-differenced phase combinations. It is called "resolved" instead of "fixed" because constraints are introduced into the problem with a finite data weight to better account for possible errors. A receiver in orbit has much shorter continuous passes of data than a receiver fixed to the Earth. The method has parameters to account for this. In particular, differences in drifting wide-lane values must be handled differently. The first step of the process is automated, using two JPL software sets, Longarc and Gipsy-Oasis. The resulting orbit/clock and bias information files are posted on anonymous ftp for use by any licensed Gipsy-Oasis user. The second step is implemented in the Gipsy-Oasis executable, gd2p.pl, which automates the entire process, including fetching the information from anonymous ftp

This dissertation presents original research contributions in the form of five integrated circuit (IC) implementations and seven scientific publications. They present advances related to high-Q resonators, DC-DC converters, and programmable RF front-ends for integrated wireless receivers. Because these three building blocks have traditionally required implementations that are partly external to the IC, the ultimate target is to reduce system size, cost, and complexity. Wireless receivers u...

This Handbook describes central receiver technology for solar thermal power plants. It contains a description and assessment of the major components in a central receiver system configured for utility scale production of electricity using Rankine-cycle steam turbines. It also describes procedures to size and optimize a plant and discussed examples from recent system analyses. Information concerning site selection criteria, cost estimation, construction, and operation and maintenance is also included, which should enable readers to perform design analyses for specific applications.

A set of equations is presented for the calculation of the signal-to-noise ratio in decibels for required operational sensitivity of a microwave receiver. Given RF bandwidth and video bandwidth for an EW receiver, along with probability of detection and false alarm rate, S/N in decibels may be obtained. The method is less time-consuming than calculating sensitivity from curves, and the results obtained are within 1 dB of values obtained from curves. 8 references

A mobile autonomous humanoid robot is assisting human co-workers at the Johnson Space Center with tool handling tasks. This robot combines the upper body of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robonaut system with a Segway(TradeMark) Robotic Mobility Platform yielding a dexterous, maneuverable humanoid perfect for aiding human co-workers in a range of environments. This system uses stereo vision to locate human team mates and tools and a navigation system that uses laser range and vision data to follow humans while avoiding obstacles. Tactile sensors provide information to grasping algorithms for efficient tool exchanges. The autonomous architecture utilizes these pre-programmed skills to form human assistant behaviors. The initial behavior demonstrates a robust capability to assist a human by acquiring a tool from a remotely located individual and then following the human in a cluttered environment with the tool for future use.

The feasibility of competitive, modular bulk electric power from the sun may be greatly enhanced by the use of a reflux heat pipe receiver to combine a heat engine with a paraboloidal dish concentrator. This combination represents a potential improvement over previous successful demonstrations of dish-electric technology in terms of enhanced performance, lower cost, longer life, and greater flexibility in engine design. In the reflux (i.e., gravity assisted) heat pipe receiver, concentrated solar radiation causes liquid metal (sodium, potassium, or NaK) to evaporate. The vapor flows to the engine interface heat exchanger, where it condenses and releases the latent heat. The condensate is returned to the receiver absorber by gravity (refluxing), and distributed over the surface by gravity and/or capillary forces in a wick lining the receiver. It is essentially an adaptation of heat pipe technology to the peculiar requirements of concentrated solar flux, and provides many advantages over conventional heated tub receiver technology. This overview paper describes the current status and future plans for the U.S. Solar Thermal Program reflux receiver development program at Sandia National Laboratories. Current work includes conventional mesh wick receivers, sintered metal wicks, and pool boiler receivers. The relative design merits and concerns of the different approaches and technology development test plans are discussed.

In support of Savannah River Site (SRS) tank closure efforts, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) conducted Real Waste Testing (RWT) to evaluate Enhanced Chemical Cleaning (ECC), an alternative to the baseline 8 wt% oxalic acid (OA) chemical cleaning technology for tank sludge heel removal. ECC utilizes a more dilute OA solution (2 wt%) and an oxalate destruction technology using ozonolysis with or without the application of ultraviolet (UV) light. SRNL conducted tests of the ECC process using actual SRS waste material from Tanks 5F and 12H. The previous phase of testing involved testing of all phases of the ECC process (sludge dissolution, OA decomposition, product evaporation, and deposition tank storage) but did not involve the use of UV light in OA decomposition. The new phase of testing documented in this report focused on the use of UV light to assist OA decomposition, but involved only the OA decomposition and deposition tank portions of the process. Compared with the previous testing at analogous conditions without UV light, OA decomposition with the use of UV light generally reduced time required to reach the target of <100 mg/L oxalate. This effect was the most pronounced during the initial part of the decomposition batches, when pH was <4. For the later stages of each OA decomposition batch, the increase in OA decomposition rate with use of the UV light appeared to be minimal. Testing of the deposition tank storage of the ECC product resulted in analogous soluble concentrations regardless of the use or non-use of UV light in the ECC reactor.

In support of Savannah River Site (SRS) tank closure efforts, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) conducted Real Waste Testing (RWT) to evaluate Enhanced Chemical Cleaning (ECC), an alternative to the baseline 8 wt% oxalic acid (OA) chemical cleaning technology for tank sludge heel removal. ECC utilizes a more dilute OA solution (2 wt%) and an oxalate destruction technology using ozonolysis with or without the application of ultraviolet (UV) light. SRNL conducted tests of the ECC process using actual SRS waste material from Tanks 5F and 12H. The previous phase of testing involved testing of all phases of the ECC process (sludge dissolution, OA decomposition, product evaporation, and deposition tank storage) but did not involve the use of UV light in OA decomposition. The new phase of testing documented in this report focused on the use of UV light to assist OA decomposition, but involved only the OA decomposition and deposition tank portions of the process. Compared with the previous testing at analogous conditions without UV light, OA decomposition with the use of UV light generally reduced time required to reach the target of <100 mg/L oxalate. This effect was the most pronounced during the initial part of the decomposition batches, when pH was <4. For the later stages of each OA decomposition batch, the increase in OA decomposition rate with use of the UV light appeared to be minimal. Testing of the deposition tank storage of the ECC product resulted in analogous soluble concentrations regardless of the use or non-use of UV light in the ECC reactor.

Full Text Available This paper has three goals: (1 to identify intended and actual uses of ICT in five different didactic sequences; (2 to compare the intended and actual uses of ICT in the sequences; (3 to investigate how the actual uses of ICT in the sequences transform and improve teaching and learning in those classrooms. The didactic sequences were studied using an observational, case study approach. Four main actual uses of ICT were identified. These actual uses differ from the intended uses. The identified actual uses did not involve so much transformation of classroom practice as it was intended. These results are discussed from a socio-cultural view. The need of analysing actual uses of ICT within the framework of teacher-students joint activity is stressed.

In vitro fertilization and assisted reproductive technology have made great progress during the last 20 years. Genetic material donation, human embryo cryopreservation, selective embryo reduction, preimplantation genetic diagnosis and surrogacy are currently practiced in many countries. On the other hand, embryo research is practiced only in a small number of nations, whereas human cloning has thus far been universally condemned. The rapid evolution and progress of all these techniques of assisted reproduction has revealed certain ethical issues that have to be addressed. PMID:10825637

The topic of assistive technology (AT) outcomes has only recently received attention in the professional literature. As a result, there is a considerable void in the profession's ability to address contemporary questions about the value and use of AT. The purpose of this article is to highlight the theory, development, and research efforts of the…

This paper will present the result of research which was done with 201 places on the actual condition of using dental diagnostic radiography unit and the protection of radiography. The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the actual condition of using dental x-ray unit and to protect when they do radiation work. Moreover this paper was completed to prepare basic materials that could be helpful to reduce the exposure from radiation. This paper obtains the following result. On radiation photographing work in the dentist office, 60.3% of dental hygienists treat this job, and 19.2% of assistants, 10.8% of dentists, 5.6% of radiolotechnologists and 4.2% others performed this job. The case that radiation worker is educated about diagnostic radiography safety supervision has been shown 14.4% and uneducated case has been shown 78.1%. The result about the actual condition of using the oral diagnostic radiation per day was that a number of film which take photograph again (less than 1 exposure) was 40.3%. Normal photographing (1 {approx} 10 exposure) was 85.1% which is the highest percentage. Using the bitewing film and occlusal film was 7.0%, and 12.4% respectively. The percent that they use cephalo film and panoramic film was 16.4%, 29.8% respectively. Dental intra diagnostic radiography unit made in 1996 {approx} 2000 was 24.9% and the one made in 1991 {approx} 1995 was 19.9%, in 1986 {approx} 1990 was 19.9%, in 1985 was 9.5% according to the answer. On kVp, they use 60 kVp mostly (61.7%) and On mA, they use 10 mA with the highest percent (66.7%). On the dental extra diagnostic radiography units which are used for doing the extra oral radiography, the one made in 1996 {approx} 2000 was 13.4%, in 1991 {approx} 1995 was 9.5%, in 1985 {approx} 1990 was 2.0% according to the answer. They use 71 {approx} 80 kVp with 10.9% and 60 {approx} 75 kVp with 9.5%. They use less than 10 mA with 19.4% and 11 {approx} 15 mA with 2.5%, 16 {approx} 20 mA with 1.5%. But the case they

This paper will present the result of research which was done with 201 places on the actual condition of using dental diagnostic radiography unit and the protection of radiography. The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the actual condition of using dental x-ray unit and to protect when they do radiation work. Moreover this paper was completed to prepare basic materials that could be helpful to reduce the exposure from radiation. This paper obtains the following result. On radiation photographing work in the dentist office, 60.3% of dental hygienists treat this job, and 19.2% of assistants, 10.8% of dentists, 5.6% of radiolotechnologists and 4.2% others performed this job. The case that radiation worker is educated about diagnostic radiography safety supervision has been shown 14.4% and uneducated case has been shown 78.1%. The result about the actual condition of using the oral diagnostic radiation per day was that a number of film which take photograph again (less than 1 exposure) was 40.3%. Normal photographing (1 ∼ 10 exposure) was 85.1% which is the highest percentage. Using the bitewing film and occlusal film was 7.0%, and 12.4% respectively. The percent that they use cephalo film and panoramic film was 16.4%, 29.8% respectively. Dental intra diagnostic radiography unit made in 1996 ∼ 2000 was 24.9% and the one made in 1991 ∼ 1995 was 19.9%, in 1986 ∼ 1990 was 19.9%, in 1985 was 9.5% according to the answer. On kVp, they use 60 kVp mostly (61.7%) and On mA, they use 10 mA with the highest percent (66.7%). On the dental extra diagnostic radiography units which are used for doing the extra oral radiography, the one made in 1996 ∼ 2000 was 13.4%, in 1991 ∼ 1995 was 9.5%, in 1985 ∼ 1990 was 2.0% according to the answer. They use 71 ∼ 80 kVp with 10.9% and 60 ∼ 75 kVp with 9.5%. They use less than 10 mA with 19.4% and 11 ∼ 15 mA with 2.5%, 16 ∼ 20 mA with 1.5%. But the case they exactly do not know how much mA they use or they do not have

External receiver configurations are directly exposed to ambient wind. Therefore, a precise determination of the convective losses is a key factor in the prediction and evaluation of the efficiency of the solar absorbers. Based on several studies, the forced convective losses of external receivers are modeled using correlations for a roughened cylinder in a cross-flow of air. However at high wind velocities, the thermal efficiency measured during the Solar Two experiment was considerably lower than the efficiency predicted by these correlations. A detailed review of the available literature on the convective losses of external receivers has been made. Three CFD models of different level of detail have been developed to analyze the influence of the actual shape of the receiver and tower configuration, of the receiver shape and of the absorber panels on the forced convective heat transfer coefficients. The heat transfer coefficients deduced from the correlations have been compared to the results of the CFD simulations. In a final step the influence of both modeling approaches on the thermal efficiency of an external tubular receiver has been studied in a thermal FE model of the Solar Two receiver.

... National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center; Final Extension of Project Period and Waiver AGENCY... Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center to receive funding from October 1, 2011 through September 30.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 7, 2011, the Department published a notice in the Federal Register (76...

... which children start and stop receiving early intervention services or preschool special education... August 8, 2012 Part III Department of Education Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance on..., 2012 / Notices#0;#0; ] DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Applications for New Awards; Technical Assistance...

... SECURITY Federal Emergency Management Agency Rehabilitation Assistance for Levees and other Flood Control... Rehabilitation Assistance for Levees and other Flood Control Works. DATES: Comments must be received by March 10... certain levees and other flood control works under the provisions of the Robert T. Stafford...

Module fourteen of the EPEC-O Self-Study Original Version focuses on the skills that the physician can use to respond both compassionately and confidently to a request, not on the merits of arguments for or against legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS) or euthanasia.

Full Text Available ... Darren Bruck, and I’m here at the patient’s bedside. Dr. Andy Pinon is sitting down at ... is about 10, 15-feet away from the patient. We’re performing a da Vinci robot- assisted ...

The effects of parent-monitored practice at home on pupil performance in reading were investigated. The study used as instructional vehicles the Parent-Assisted Learning Program (PAL) and the Southwest Regional Laboratory's (SWRL) First-Year Communication Skills Program. PAL was designed to enable school personnel to establish a system whereby…

Full Text Available ... it’s possible for robots to operate without the assistance of humans? Not yet. We are not quite there. The robot still needs the human to control it. The beauty of this device, it’s all ...

Since the early days of computer technology in education in the 1960s, it was claimed that computers can assist instructional practice and hence improve student learning. Since then computer technology has developed, and its potential for education has increased. In this article, we first discuss th

This article discusses Assisted Cycling Tours (ACT), a Westminster, Colorado based 501(c)3, non-profit that is offering the joy of bicycle tours in breathtaking, scenic locations to children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities and their families. ACT was founded by Bob Matter and his son David with a goal of opening up the…

Full Text Available ... going to the patient’s bedside to perform his duties as assistant, and I am waiting for the ... away. Okay. The patient is in what we call a “modified lithotomy position” with their legs up ...

The introduction of the operative microscope for andrological surgery in the 1970s provided enhanced magnification and accuracy,unparalleled to any previous visual loop or magnification techniques.This technology revolutionized techniques for microsurgery in andrology.Today,we may be on the verge of a second such revolution by the incorporation of robotic assisted platforms for microsurgery in andrology.Robotic assisted microsurgery is being utilized to a greater degree in andrology and a number of other microsurgical fields,such as ophthalmology,hand surgery,plastics and reconstructive surgery.The potential advantages of robotic assisted platforms include elimination of tremor,improved stability,surgeon ergonomics,scalability of motion,multi-input visual interphases with up to three simultaneous visual views,enhanced magnification,and the ability to manipulate three surgical instruments and cameras simultaneously.This review paper begins with the historical development of robotic microsurgery.It then provides an in-depth presentation of the technique and outcomes of common robotic microsurgical andrological procedures,such as vasectomy reversal,subinguinal varicocelectomy,targeted spermatic cord denervation (for chronic orchialgia) and robotic assisted microsurgical testicular sperm extraction (microTESE).

Receiving antennas absorb power from incident waves, but they also re-radiate some power into surrounding space. If a receiving antenna is to be used as a sensor which should not disturb the object under study, it should scatter as little power as possible in the receiving direction. We propose to use a chiral element composed of two orthogonal chiral particles as a low-scattering sensor.The element can transmit and receive circular polarization in all directions with the Huygens' pattern. We derive the vector effective length for the antenna using the small dipole approximation for the chiral particles. We observe that the element does not backscatter, regardless of the polarization, when the incidence direction is normal to the plane of the particles. Scattered fields, scattered axial ratio, and the scattering cross section are presented. We show that the zero-backscattering property holds also for the antenna element when it is capable to receive all the available power with conjugate loading. The approxim...

Compact THz receivers with broad bandwidth and low noise have been developed for the frequency range from 100 GHz to 1 THz. These receivers meet the requirements for high-resolution spectroscopic studies of planetary atmospheres (including the Earth s) from spacecraft, as well as airborne and balloon platforms. The ongoing research is significant not only for the development of Schottky mixers, but also for the creation of a receiver system, including the LO chain. The new receivers meet the goals of high sensitivity, compact size, low total power requirement, and operation across complete waveguide bands. The exceptional performance makes these receivers ideal for the broader range of scientific and commercial applications. These include the extension of sophisticated test and measurement equipment to 1 THz and the development of low-cost imaging systems for security applications and industrial process monitoring. As a particular example, a WR-1.9SHM (400-600 GHz) has been developed (see Figure 1), with state-of-the-art noise temperature ranging from 1,000-1,800 K (DSB) over the full waveguide band. Also, a Vector Network Analyzer extender has been developed (see Figure 2) for the WR1.5 waveguide band (500 750 GHz) with 100-dB dynamic range.

Full Text Available Video assisted techniques were documented by M.Gagner (1996 – video assisted parathyroidectomy, Henry (1999, Shimizu (1999, Ohgami (2000, Miccoli (2000 – video assisted parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy. The advantage of this kind of surgery: aesthetics i.e. trying to make only small scars on the neck. Our first case of video assisted thyroidectomy was a female 50 years of age, with multinodular goiter, nodules of 2-3 cm in each lobe, admitted in our clinic in December 2008. History of the disease: 9 years; treatment: hormones pills. The refractive thyroid goiter became surgical in the last four years. The intervention was delayed because of pulmonary tuberculosis the patient suffered from. The video assited technique is inspired from Websurg site (Miccoli technique, 2007, modified by the author. We started with general anesthesia, patient lying, without hiper extension of the neck. The skin incision was on midline of the neck, 15 mm long, horizontal, at 2 cm above the inferior limit of the neck, with electric scalpel. By this skin incision we entered the thyroid space gland with classical instruments; then we introduce a 10 mm, 0 degree telescope, together with a 5 mm Ligasure grasp. After coagulation and section with Ligasure, the superior thyroid pedicle, the right thyroid lobe was dissected all around. Finally, we extracted the right thyroid lobe and then we severed with Ligasure the inferior right thyroid pedicle. The same procedure was used on the left side; it needn’t any drainage; the closure was anatomically tipical. The evolution was uneventful. The histopathological exam result was chronical Hashimoto thyroiditis. Conclusions: Video assisted thyroidectomy can be considered feasible and safe and allows for an excellent cosmetic result and has possible new promising indications such as prophylactic thyroidectomy. Not all patients are eligible for this procedure, but in selected cases it can be a valid option for the surgical

Carter is a bellwether decision, an adjudication on a narrow point of law whose implications are vast across society, and whose impact may not be realized for years. Coupled with Quebec's Act Respecting End-of-life Care it has sharply changed the legal landscape with respect to actively ending a person's life. "Medically assisted dying" will be permitted under circumstances, and through processes, which have yet to be operationally defined. This decision carries with it moral assumptions, which mean that it will be difficult to reach a unifying consensus. For some, the decision and Act reflect a modern acknowledgement of individual autonomy. For others, allowing such acts is morally unspeakable. Having opened the Pandora's Box, the question becomes one of navigating a tolerable societal path. I believe it is possible to achieve a workable solution based on the core principle that "medically assisted dying" should be a very rarely employed last option, subject to transparent ongoing review, specifically as to why it was deemed necessary. My analysis is based on 1. The societal conditions in which have fostered demand for "assisted dying", 2. Actions in other jurisdictions, 3. Carter and Quebec Bill 52, 4. Political considerations, 5. Current medical practice. Leading to a series of recommendations regarding. 1. Legislation and regulation, 2. The role of professional regulatory agencies, 3. Medical professions education and practice, 4. Public education, 5. Health care delivery and palliative care. Given the burden of public opinion, and the legal steps already taken, a process for assisted-dying is required. However, those legal and regulatory steps should only be considered a necessary and defensive first step in a two stage process. The larger goal, the second step, is to drive the improvement of care, and thus minimize assisted-dying. PMID:27169205

A tomographic method is considered that forms images from sets of spatially randomized source signals and receiver sensitivities. The method is designed to allow image reconstruction for an extended number of transmitters and receivers in the presence noise and without plane wave approximation or otherwise approximation on the size or regularity of source and receiver functions. An overdetermined set of functions are formed from the Hadamard product between a Gaussian function and a uniformly distributed random number set. It is shown that this particular type of randomization tends to produce well-conditioned matrices whose pseudoinverses may be determined without implementing relaxation methods. When the inverted sets are applied to simulated first-order scattering from a Shepp-Logan phantom, successful image reconstructions are achieved for signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) as low as 1. Evaluation of the randomization approach is conducted by comparing condition numbers with other forms of signal randomization....

When people think about a product,the first impression always mainly influences the result.Product is the medium of communication between designer and designer receiver.Because both of them have varied different experience and background,the information would be biased during the transferring...... process.The common symbols which can be recognized by both of designer and receiver are the key tools for communication.In some case,the same symbol in one product would be leads to different receiver impression.Generally,impression includes 3 aspects:aesthetics,function, and emotion.Designer needs to...... create an attractive and accurate impression in product from these 3 aspects.For facing the dilemma of communication,some experimental approaches can help designer deal with unique and diversity situations.Solving the detail problem in each step could keep the original meaning of designer....

Full Text Available This work presents a Virtual Assistant (VA whose main goal is to supply information for Websites users. AVA is a software system that interacts with persons through a Web browser, receiving textual questions and answering automatically without human intervention. The VA supplies information by looking for similar questions in a knowledge base and giving the corresponding answer. Artificial Intelligence techniques are employed in this matching process, to compare the user’s question against questions stored in the base. The main advantage of using the VA is to minimize information overload when users get lost in Websites. The VA can guide the user across the web pages or directly supply information. This is especially important for customers visiting an enterprise site, looking for products, services or prices or needing information about some topic. The VA can also help in Knowledge Management processes inside enterprises, offering an easy way for people storing and retrieving knowledge. An extra advantage is to reduce the structure of Call Centers, since the VA can be given to customers in a CD-ROM. Furthermore, the VA provides Webmasters with statistics about the usage of the VA (themes more asked, number of visitants, time of conversation.

Quantum dense coding is considered to be one of the most remarkable demonstrations of the existence of quantum entanglement. In this paper, we analyze the role of correlations (both classical and quantum) in quantum communication protocols. We study how the capacity of a single-qubit quantum channel depends on correlations between Alice and Bob. In particular, we consider a scenario when Alice and Bob share a pair of qubits in a state such that Alice's qubit is in the state described by the density operator ρ=(1/2)1+n-vector·σ-vector. We evaluate a capacity of the noiseless channel for two cases: (1) when Bob performs measurement just on the particle received from Alice, and (2) in the case when he utilizes correlations that have been established prior to the communication. We present a simple classical scenario which might serve as a prototype of quantum dense coding. We generalize our results also for qudits. In addition, we address some aspects of the issue of security in correlation-assisted communication protocols

The syn-collisional extension of the Northern Apennines is well established mainly from tomographic images, active faulting and geological data. A step forward in understanding how this process began, and how is going on, is the modelling of dynamic processes causing syn-collision extension. This requires the knowledge of several, still lacking, geometric characteristics of the deep structure. Among these, crustal structure, depth and geometry of main discontinuities is priority for dynamic modelling. For this reason, we deployed 10 continuosly recording broad-band seismic stations from Corsica to the Adriatic coast for five months during the past millennium, with the aim to apply receiver function analysis, to gain refined tomographic images, and to explore anisotropic characteristics of the upper mantle. We recorded several tens of teleseismic events with magnitude larger than 5.0 (up to Mw=8.3) with a good azimuthal coverage. Receiver functions are performed for teleseisms in the epicentral distance interval between 30° and 100° through classical frequency-domain deconvolution. Following the approach developed by Di Bona (1998), we could provide a variance estimate for single receiver function, assessing the statistical accuracy of amplitudes. This procedure allows us to use small magnitude events (Mb=5.0) generally excluded from receiver function analyses. Results show that individual converted arrivals have a large consistency for each station. The best receiver functions will be inverted for fine crustal structure following the inversion scheme proposed by Sambridge (1998). Finally, the dataset has been provided to the Dept. Of Geology and Geophysics (Yale University) with the aim to compare independent estimate of receiver functions (see Levin et al., this session).

We examined factors associated with HPV vaccine intentions by racial/ethnic group among men participating in a HPV natural history study. HPV knowledge, vaccine intentions and perceived barriers were assessed among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic men. Men were tested for HPV every 6 months. After receiving test results from their previous visit, participants (N=477) reported their intentions for HPV vaccination in a computer-assisted survey instrument (CASI). Vaccine inten...

This is the IAEA's first computer-produced list of proceedings of conferences. It identifies all volumes received in the IAEA Library up to May 1969. The purpose of the list is to assist members of the IAEA staff and co-operating libraries to identify conferences, congresses, meetings, symposia and training courses relating to nuclear science and technology and to locate the proceedings

This paper provides an extensive analysis of the performance of a six-port based direct conversion receiver (SPR) in terms of signal quality, dynamic range, noise figure, ports matching, isolation, bandwidth, and cost. Calibration technique using multimemory polynomials has been adopted in order to improve the signal quality of the six-port receiver. The performances of the calibrated receiver are then compared with the performances of a commercially available I-Q demodulator used as a low-IF...

This paper presents a study on energy losses in the industrial sector caused by low actual efficiency of induction motors (IMs). The main reasons are discussed and an efficiency analysis of a 3-phase induction motor, commonly used in industry, presented to compare such motors' nominal and actual efficiencies. Based on the difference between nominal and actual efficiency, energy loss is calculated for a particular motor. Conclusions about how energy savings depend on operating efficiency of in...

Anchoring inflation expectations to inflation targets rather than actual inflation implies a credible monetary policy. We utilized a quantile autoregression approach developed by Koenker and Xiao (2004) in order to analyse whether the inflation expectations converge toward inflation targets or actual inflation. Our analysis suggested that inflation expectations have been anchored to both inflation targets and actual inflation. Furthermore, no convergence toward inflation targets in larger qua...

Indicators of central bank independence (CBI) based on the interpretation central bank laws in place may not capture the actual independence of the central bank. This paper develops an indicator of actual independence of the Bank Indonesia (BI), the central bank of Indonesia, for the period 1953-2008 and compares it with a new legal CBI indicator based on Cukierman (1992). The indicator of actual independence captures institutional and economic factors that affect CBI. We find that before 199...

Indicators of central bank independence (CBI) based on the interpretation central bank laws in place may not capture the actual independence of the central bank. This paper develops an indicator of actual independence of the Bank Indonesia (BI), the central bank of Indonesia, for the period 1953-2008 and compares it with a new legal CBI indicator based on Cukierman (1992). The indicator of actual independence captures institutional and economic factors that affect CBI. We find that before 199...

Perception of peer behaviors is an important predictor of actual risk behaviors among youth. However, we lack understanding of peer influence through social media and of actual and perceived peer behavior concordance. The purpose of this research is to document the relationship between individual perception of and actual peer sexual risk behavior using online social networks. The data are a result of a secondary analysis of baseline self-reported and peer-reported sexual risk behavior from a ...

There are no public records that give an idea of how much emanation monitoring is actually taking place. However, there are a few data points that lead us to believe there is a real threat. One of these is that TEMPEST industry is over a billion dollars a year business. Reports like the ”Redefining Security” by Joint Security Commission stated that electronic equipment such as computers, printers, and electronic typewriters give off electromagnetic emanations and that this has long been a con...

Full Text Available A promising idea for optimising the power consumption of mobile communication devices represents the usage of an additional ultra-low-power receiver unit, which is able to control the main transceiver in order to reduce the standby power consumption of the overall system. Such a Wake-Up-Receiver (WuRx unit senses the medium and switches on the communication interfaces in case of an external request. Otherwise, all system components for the network communication are completely switched off. Especially in the domain of resource-limited and embedded devices, WuRx technologies enable novel communication paradigms.But on the application layer, not all scenarios allow the efficient usage of such WuRx technologies. Dependent on environmental parameters, technological limitations and conceptual requirements, different strategies are necessary to ensure energy-efficient system operation. In this article, we present a critical analysis of the capabilities and the conceptual limitations of WuRx approaches. Therefore, we identify critical parameters for WuRx concepts, which limit the efficiency in real world scenarios. Our goal is to classify sufficient fields of application. Furthermore we evaluate the influences of these parameters on the system behaviour. In addition, we introduce heterogeneous energy harvesting approaches as an efficient way for the system optimisation. The proposed technologies are capable to be integrated into small-sized wireless sensor platforms and prolong the system uptime significantly. The presented simulation results are focusing on actual smart metering scenarios and wireless sensor networks. Based on these measurements, we were able to apply further optimisation steps within the system configuration on the application layer. In this context, we focus on application-specific key issues, like the trade-off between measurement quality and quantity, the usage of data buffering approaches and QoS capabilities.

As a designer of radio astronomical receivers, I am always thinking of ways to prove that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a receiver fits with theory as introduced by John D. Kraus [Kraus 1986] in his radiometer equation for a total power receiver, where is the system sensitivity, or smallest change in antenna temperature that can be measured, in kelvins, Tsys is the system noise temperature also in kelvins, B is bandwidth in hertz and is the integration time in seconds. Equation (1) shows that the sensitivity of a radio receiver is proportional to the system temperature Tsys and inversely proportional to the square root of the bandwidth B times the integration time. We can avoid any calibration in terms of noise temperature by rearranging equation (1), or (2)The ratio is equivalent to the radiometer SNR, therefore, (3)The system noise temperature Tsys in equation (3) can be found by a simple observation of a cold noise source such as a resistance termination at room temperature to obtain Icold and of a hot source like a semiconductor noise source, hot part of the Milky Way galaxy, the sun or any other hot broadband radio source to obtain Ihot. The smallest change in noise temperature that we can observeis equivalent to the standard deviation or root-mean-square (rms) value of the noise source noise, which we can calculate from the statistics of the Ihot data. The last part of equation (3) follows from equation (2). The advantage of this approach is we do not need to know the actual noise temperature or received flux because SNR is dimensionless. In my case, for the Callisto receiver, the radiometric bandwidth is in the order of 300 KHz and the integration time is 1 ms. Therefore, the SNR should be about = 17.3. This will be compared to actual measurements shown in figures 1 through 4.

Virginia Tech researchers from Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) have received $300,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study brucellosis. Caused by Brucella bacteria, a potential bioterrorism agent, brucellosis is common to animals and some strains infect humans.

Clifton C. Garvin Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics Romesh C. Batra received the Engineering Science Medal of the Society of Engineering Science (SES) at the recent meeting of the 2009 Joint American Society of Civil Engineers-American Society of Mechanical Engineers-SES Conference on Mechanics and Materials that was held in Blacksburg, Va.

Financing accounts receivables is becoming a popular strategy in the healthcare industry. Factoring and securitization are two financing methods available to hospitals. Patient accounts managers who understand the programs' structures, incentives, and costs will be able to achieve the maximum benefit for their hospitals when choosing one of these transactions. PMID:10109699

Howard Feiertag, of Blacksburg, an instructor in hospitality and tourism management at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business, received the inaugural Excellence in Sales and Marketing Strategy Award at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association/New York University Strategy Conference in New York recently.

This thesis is concerned with signal processing for improving the performance of wireless communication receivers for well-established cellular networks such as the GSM/EDGE and WCDMA/HSPA systems. The goal of doing so, is to improve the end-user experience and/or provide a higher system capacity...

At the annual Commemoration of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) on April 27, 2012, Prof. Richard W. Ziolkowski, University of Arizona (UoA), received DTU's highest academic degree, the Honorary Doctor degree: Doctor Technices Honoris Causa (Figure 1). Prof. Ziolkowski has been a close...

Interactions of imatinib with other drugs have been scarcely reported. We report a previously unknown effect of imatinib on levothyroxine therapy. Eleven patients (1 with gastrointestinal stromal tumor and 10 with medullary thyroid carcinoma) received imatinib. Eight had undergone thyroidectomy and

This thesis investigates the system design and circuit implementation of a 24GHz-band short-range radar receiver in CMOS technology. The propagation and penetration properties of EM wave offer the possibility of non-contact based remote sensing and through-the-wall imaging of distance stationary or

This paper aims to show the system for relief provided by the Japanese Red Cross relief units during the Second World War, as well as the actual activities of sixteen of its relief units dispatched to Burma. The Red Cross wartime relief efforts involved using personnel and funding prepared beforehand to provide aid to those injured in war, regardless of their status as ally or enemy. Thus they were able to receive support from the army in order to ensure safety and provide supplies. Nurses dispatched to Burma took care of many patients who suffered from malnutrition and physical injuries amidst the outbreak of infectious diseases typical of tropical areas, without sufficient replacement members. Base hospitals not meant for the front lines also came under attack, and the nurses' lives were thus in mortal danger. Of the 374 original members, 29 died or went missing in action. PMID:27089733

Beginning with the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in October of 2008, NASA will once again begin its quest to land humans on the Moon. This effort will require the development of new spacecraft which will safely transport people from the Earth to the Moon and back again, as well as robotic probes tagged with science, re-supply, and communication duties. In addition to the next-generation spacecraft currently under construction, including the Orion capsule, NASA is also investigating and developing cutting edge navigation sensors which will allow for autonomous state estimation in low Earth orbit (LEO) and cislunar space. Such instruments could provide an extra layer of redundancy in avionics systems and reduce the reliance on support and on the Deep Space Network (DSN). One such sensor is the weak-signal Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver "Navigator" being developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). At the heart of the Navigator is a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based acquisition engine. This engine allows for the rapid acquisition/reacquisition of strong GPS signals, enabling the receiver to quickly recover from outages due to blocked satellites or atmospheric entry. Additionally, the acquisition algorithm provides significantly lower sensitivities than a conventional space-based GPS receiver, permitting it to acquire satellites well above the GPS constellation. This paper assesses the performance of the Navigator receiver based upon three of the major flight regimes of a manned lunar mission: Earth ascent, cislunar navigation, and entry. Representative trajectories for each of these segments were provided by NASA. The Navigator receiver was connected to a Spirent GPS signal generator, to allow for the collection of real-time, hardware-in-the-loop results for each phase of the flight. For each of the flight segments, the Navigator was tested on its ability to acquire and track GPS satellites under the dynamical

We have developed a three-axis electric field receiver designed to be towed behind a marine electromagnetic transmitter for the purpose of mapping the electrical resistivity in the upper 1000 m of seafloor geology. By careful adjustment of buoyancy and the use of real-time monitoring of depth and altitude, we are able to deep-tow multiple receivers on arrays up to 1200 m long within 50 m of the seafloor, thereby obtaining good coupling to geology. The rigid body of the receiver is designed to reduce noise associated with lateral motion of flexible antennas during towing, and allows the measurement of the vertical electric field component, which modeling shows to be particularly sensitive to near-seafloor resistivity variations. The positions and orientations of the receivers are continuously measured, and realistic estimates of positioning errors can be used to build an error model for the data. During a test in the San Diego Trough, offshore California, inversions of the data were able to fit amplitude and phase of horizontal electric fields at three frequencies on three receivers to about 1% in amplitude and 1° in phase and vertical fields to about 5% in amplitude and 5° in phase. The geological target of the tests was a known cold seep and methane vent in 1000 m water depth, which inversions show to be associated with a 1 km wide resistor at a depth between 50 and 150 m below seafloor. Given the high resistivity (30 Ωm) and position within the gas hydrate stability field, we interpret this to be massive methane hydrate.

Genomic discoveries are increasingly being applied to the clinical care of patients. All physician assistants (PAs) need to acquire competency in genomics to provide the best possible care for patients within the scope of their practice. In this article, we present an updated version of PA genomic competencies and learning outcomes in a framework that is consistent with the current medical education guidelines and the collaborative nature of PAs in interprofessional health care teams. PMID:27490287

The rationale for using computers in psychotherapy includes the possibility that therapeutic software could improve the efficiency of treatment and provide access for greater numbers of patients. Computers have not been able to reliably duplicate the type of dialogue typically used in clinician-administered therapy. However, computers have significant strengths that can be used to advantage in designing treatment programs. Software developed for computer-assisted therapy gen...

A Computer Assisted Mathematical Programming (Modelling) System (CAMPS) is described in this paper. The system uses program generator techniques for model creation and contrasts with earlier approaches which use a special purpose language to construct models. Thus no programming skill is required to formulate a model. In designing the system we have first analysed the salient components of the mathematical programming activity. A mathematical programming model is usually constructed by progre...

Personal digital assistant sales are growing exponentially, and as medical technology advances the amount of information available becomes staggering, making a handheld device, with the ability to store a great amount of information, progressively more valuable to health care providers. Mobile computing allows for a great deal of knowledge in a small package, creating a “walking library” with a mobile collection of data always accessible. There are many diverse types of PDAs, and this article...

In the scope of this thesis world's first robot system was developed, which facilitates osteotomy using laser in arbitrary geometries with an overall accuracy below 0.5mm. Methods of computer and robot assisted surgery were reconsidered and composed to a workflow. Adequate calibration and registration methods are proposed. Further a methodology for transferring geometrically defined cutting trajectories into pulse sequences and optimized execution plans is developed.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are not part of French laws of bioethics and lack, for the time being, definition and normative framework other than their criminal prosecution. To transform them into a right, these concepts certainly call for an ethical and legal debate. This paper aims to question the ideas to be considered, the conceptual bases and normative tools that may be useful to the discussion. PMID:27356358

Abstract This report discusses ways in which new technology could be harnessed to create an intelligent Virtual Personal Assistant (VPA) with a focus on user-based information. It will look at examples of intelligent programs with natural language processing that are currently available, with different categories of support, and examine the potential usefulness of one specific piece of software as a VPA. This engages the ability to communicate socially through natural language processing, hol...

The purpose of this article is to answer this question: what does optimization mean in the frame of an assistance operation. Two points have been developed: the first one is devoted to a broad training and sensitizing for the persons susceptible to participate to these interventions, the second one is the preparation of operations: it is possible to develop optimization from information feedback. (N.C.)

CAR'89 is intended to serve as a forum for discussion between experts from the medical sciences e.g., radiology, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, orthopaedia, cardiology, neurology and surgery and professionals from the computer and physical sciences. Computer assisted radiological diagnosis, orthopaedics, therapy, and planning are the main subjects of the symposium and the panel discussion. The state of the art and research results in the area of CAR are evaluated. (DG)

China joins international relief efforts in Haiti with a powerful sense of mission How long does it take to ready assistance and travel some 15,000 km around the globe to provide a helping hand amid one of the worst earth-quakes in modern history? The answer might surprise you. Less than 36 hours after seismic shocks leveled much of Haiti on January

The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) has a number of ongoing activities designed to provide assistance to our members in the human resources area. These include the Educational Assistance Program and the ongoing facilitation of information exchange through Nuclear Network and INPO publications. INPO will continue to seek ways to assist its member utilities

Giat Industries, expert in combat system, designs and integrates the technologies (electrical network, mechanical design, ergonomic and mobility command and control) for the French military and civil robotic. One of the main problems of current robotics is to treat the lack of operator's perception due to teleoperation. The article details the assistance for the steer control part of mobility command and control. The purpose of the assistance is to secure the vehicle, to insure the continuity of the command (in particular for tracked vehicle equipped of hydrostatic steering group), and to adapt the command (to use all the range of the command even at high speed and to adapt the speed to the desired curve). The advantage of the system presented in the article is to filter the order first and to transmit to the actuators only safe orders preserving the vehicle. This approach transforms the telepilot's order watching and correction problem, to a telepilot's order filtering problem. We pass here, from a logical "a posteriori" to a logical of "a priori" processing. The assistance includes: a model of the dynamic behavior of the vehicle and an open loop, some feed forward with appropriate filters and a closed loop. The article presents the result of the command studies from time simulation to "man on the loop" simulation. This system, at present time applied to the French Observation Robot demonstrator SYRANO (developped for the DGA-French Defence Procurement Agency), is the subject of a patent.

The low resolution Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) polar-orbiting satellites Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) is being received and recorded in real-time mode at ground receiving station in School of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. The system is suitable for the developing and undeveloped countries in south and Southeast Asia and is said to be acceptable for engineering, agricultural, climatological and environmental applications. The system comprises a personal computer attached with a small APT receiver. The data transmission between the ground receiving station and NOAA satellites is using the electromagnetic wave. The relation for receiving and processing the electromagnetic wave in the transmission will be discussed. (Author)

The document reproduces the text of the communication of 7 December 1999 received by the IAEA from the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the IAEA, including an attachment referring to the Non-implementation of the IAEA Technical Assistance Programs to Iraq for the years 1999/2000

Remote sensing can assist in improving the estimation of the geographical distribution of evapotranspiration, and consequently water demand in large cultivated areas for irrigation purposes and sustainable water resources management. In the direction of these objectives, the daily actual evapotranspiration was calculated in this study during the summer season of 2001 over the Thessaly plain in Greece, a wide irrigated area of great agricultural importance. Three different methods were adapted and applied: the remote-sensing methods by Granger (2000) and Carlson and Buffum (1989) that use satellite data in conjunction with ground meteorological measurements and an adapted FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) Penman-Monteith method (Allen at al. 1998), which was selected to be the reference method. The satellite data were used in conjunction with ground data collected on the three closest meteorological stations. All three methods, exploit visible channels 1 and 2 and infrared channels 4 and 5 of NOAA-AVHRR (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) sensor images to calculate albedo and NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index), as well as surface temperatures. The FAO Penman-Monteith and the Granger method have used exclusively NOAA-15 satellite images to obtain mean surface temperatures. For the Carlson-Buffum method a combination of NOAA-14 and NOAA-15 satellite images was used, since the average rate of surface temperature rise during the morning was required. The resulting estimations show that both the Carlson-Buffum and Granger methods follow in general the variations of the reference FAO Penman-Monteith method. Both methods have potential for estimating the spatial distribution of evapotranspiration, whereby the degree of the relative agreement with the reference FAO Penman-Monteith method depends on the crop growth stage. In particular, the Carlson-Buffum method performed better during the first half

The purpose of this proposed research study was to identify actual teaching practices/instructional strategies for online science courses. The identification of these teaching practices/instructional strategies could be used to compile a set of teaching practices/instructional strategies for virtual high school and online academy science instructors. This study could assist online science instructors by determining which teaching practices/instructional strategies were preferred for the online teaching environment. The literature reviewed the role of online and face-to-face instructional strategies, then discussed and elaborated on the science instructional strategies used by teachers, specifically at the secondary level. The current literature did not reflect an integration of these areas of study. Therefore, the connectedness of these two types of instructional strategies and the creation of a set of preferred instructional practices for online science instruction was deemed necessary. For the purpose of this study, the researcher designed a survey for face-to-face and online teachers to identify preferred teaching practices, instructional strategies, and types of technology used when teaching high school science students. The survey also requested demographic data information from the faculty members, including years of experience, subject(s) taught, and whether the teacher taught in a traditional classroom or online, to determine if any of those elements affect differences in faculty perceptions with regard to the questions under investigation. The findings from the current study added to the literature by demonstrating the differences and the similarities that exist between online and face-to-face instruction. Both forms of instruction tend to rely on student-centered approaches to teaching. There were many skills that were similar in that both types of instructors tend to focus on implementing the scientific method. The primary difference is the use of

Full Text Available Remote sensing can assist in improving the estimation of the geographical distribution of evapotranspiration, and consequently water demand in large cultivated areas for irrigation purposes and sustainable water resources management. In the direction of these objectives, the daily actual evapotranspiration was calculated in this study during the summer season of 2001 over the Thessaly plain in Greece, a wide irrigated area of great agricultural importance. Three different methods were adapted and applied: the remotesensing methods by Granger (2000 and Carlson and Buffum (1989 that use satellite data in conjunction with ground meteorological measurements and an adapted FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation Penman-Monteith method (Allen at al. 1998, which was selected to be the reference method. The satellite data were used in conjunction with ground data collected on the three closest meteorological stations. All three methods, exploit visible channels 1 and 2 and infrared channels 4 and 5 of NOAA-AVHRR (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer sensor images to calculate albedo and NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, as well as surface temperatures. The FAO Penman-Monteith and the Granger method have used exclusively NOAA-15 satellite images to obtain mean surface temperatures. For the Carlson-Buffum method a combination of NOAA-14 and ÃŽÂÃŽÂŸÃŽÂ‘ÃŽÂ‘-15 satellite images was used, since the average rate of surface temperature rise during the morning was required. The resulting estimations show that both the Carlson-Buffum and Granger methods follow in general the variations of the reference FAO Penman-Monteith method. Both methods have potential for estimating the spatial distribution of evapotranspiration, whereby the degree of the relative agreement with the reference FAO Penman-Monteith method depends on the crop growth stage. In particular, the Carlson- Buffum

Actual property values are overwhelmingly employed as a dependent variable in hedonic pricing models. Yet, assessed property values are generally more readily available than actual sales values and have, in some studies, been used in lieu of market prices. In this study, we compare estimates of diff

Indicators of central bank independence (CBI) based on the interpretation central bank laws in place may not capture the actual independence of the central bank. This paper develops an indicator of actual independence of the Bank Indonesia (BI), the central bank of Indonesia, for the period 1953-200

Compares and contrasts the ways that Chinese Taoism and Zen Buddhism view the development of human potential with the ways that the self-actualization theories of Rogers and Maslow describe the human potential movement. Notes many similarities between the ways that Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and the self-actualization theories of Rogers and Maslow…

The actual performance of drip irrigation (irrigation efficiency, distribution uniformity) in the field is often quite different from that obtained in experimental stations. We developed an approach to explain the actual irrigation performance of drip irrigation systems by linking measured performan

Investigated the relationship between the practice of Zen meditation and a measure of self-actualization in experienced (N=36) and inexperienced (N=34) meditator groups. Analysis of data showed that a learning period (or selection period) exists for Zen meditation during which there is no increase in group self-actualization. (LLL)

With a mandatory labeling scheme for GM food in Europe since 2004 measuring actual consumer choice in practice has become possible. Anticipating Europeans negative attitude toward GM food, the labeling was enforced to allow consumers to make an informed choice. We studied consumers actual purchase b

This report addresses the relationship between self-actualizing values and interpersonal communication behaviors. After a discussion of behavioristic and humanistic frameworks for social science research, the paper explains Abraham Maslow's and Carl Roger's concepts of self-actualization as the tendency toward completing and perfecting one's…

Client ratings of the abilities of 33 school counselors to communicate the core facilitative conditions of empathy, regard, congruence, and trust are compared to the counselors' scores on a measure of self-actualization. Results support the contention that there exists a strong relationship between self-actualization and counselor effectiveness as…

This study compared college student reported grade point averages (GPA) with actual GPA as recorded at the Registrar's Office to determine the accuracy of student reported GPA. Results indicated that, on average, students reported slightly higher GPA than their actual GPA. Additionally, females were virtually as accurate as males and students with…

The CERN Communication group has received an award for its efforts in communicating the LHC first beam to the media and the public. James Gillies, head of the Communication group was presented the AlphaGalileo Research Public Relations Award on Wednesday, 14 October during the Euroscience Media Award Ceremony in Hannover. "It’s great to receive this recognition," said Gillies. "Of course, we had great material to work with: the LHC is a fantastic story and one that is going to get even better. Angels, Demons and black holes also had their roles to play, but behind the media interest there’s been a lot of hard work by my team. This is for them." The CERN Communication group also works with communication professionals in all the CERN Member States and major physics labs around the world through the European Particle Physics Communication Network, and the InterAction collaboration. "Without them," says Gillies, &am...

Magnetic resonance imaging is an inherently signal-to-noise-starved technique that limits the spatial resolution, diagnostic image quality and results in typically long acquisition times that are prone to motion artefacts. This limitation is exacerbated when receive coils have poor fit due to lack of flexibility or need for padding for patient comfort. Here, we report a new approach that uses printing for fabricating receive coils. Our approach enables highly flexible, extremely lightweight conforming devices. We show that these devices exhibit similar to higher signal-to-noise ratio than conventional ones, in clinical scenarios when coils could be displaced more than 18 mm away from the body. In addition, we provide detailed material properties and components performance analysis. Prototype arrays are incorporated within infant blankets for in vivo studies. This work presents the first fully functional, printed coils for 1.5- and 3-T clinical scanners.

A comprehensive study of optical and mechanical properties of quartz glass (fused silica) with regard to application in high temperature solar receivers is presented. The dependence of rupture strength on different surface conditions as well as high temperature is analyzed, focussing particularly on damage by devitrification and sandblasting. The influence of typical types of contamination in combination with thermal cycling on the optical properties of fused silica is determined. Cleaning methods are compared regarding effectiveness on contamination-induced degradation for samples with and without antireflective coating. The FEM-aided design of different types of receiver windows and their support structure is presented. A large-scale production process has been developed for producing fused silica dome shaped windows (pressurized window) up to a diameter of 816 mm. Prototypes were successfully pressure-tested in a test bench and certified according to the European Pressure Vessel Directive.

Convective losses reduce the efficiency of cavity receivers used in solar power towers especially under windy conditions. Therefore, measures should be taken to reduce these losses. In this paper two different measures are analyzed: an air curtain and a partial window which covers one third of the aperture opening. The cavity without modifications and the usage of a partial window were analyzed in a cryogenic wind tunnel at -173°C. The cryogenic environment allows transforming the results from the small model cavity to a large scale receiver with Gr≈3.9.1010. The cavity with the two modifications in the wind tunnel environment was analyzed with a CFD model as well. By comparing the numerical and experimental results the model was validated. Both modifications are capable of reducing the convection losses. In the best case a reduction of about 50 % was achieved.

Magnetic resonance imaging is an inherently signal-to-noise-starved technique that limits the spatial resolution, diagnostic image quality and results in typically long acquisition times that are prone to motion artefacts. This limitation is exacerbated when receive coils have poor fit due to lack of flexibility or need for padding for patient comfort. Here, we report a new approach that uses printing for fabricating receive coils. Our approach enables highly flexible, extremely lightweight conforming devices. We show that these devices exhibit similar to higher signal-to-noise ratio than conventional ones, in clinical scenarios when coils could be displaced more than 18 mm away from the body. In addition, we provide detailed material properties and components performance analysis. Prototype arrays are incorporated within infant blankets for in vivo studies. This work presents the first fully functional, printed coils for 1.5- and 3-T clinical scanners. PMID:26961073

Full Text Available The present study aimed at understanding the perception of older adults who are receiving palliative oncological care on self care in relation to different stages of the disease and how such perception affected their lives. This is a qualitative study using oral history conducted with 15 older adults receiving palliative chemotherapy treatment in a health institution. The following categories emerged: social network, perspectives for confronting life, changes and spirituality. It is necessary for nursing staff to understand this process so that the measures implemented take into account all of the implications of the disease and aim at improving quality of life. doi: 10.5216/ree.v16i2.22795.

The operating frequency of InP high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) based amplifiers has moved well in the submillimeter-wave frequencies over the last couple of years. Working amplifiers with usable gain in waveguide packages has been reported beyond 700 GHz. When cooled cryogenically, they have shown substantial improvement in their noise temperature. This has opened up the real possibility of cryogenic amplifier based heterodyne receivers at submillimeter wavelengths for ground-based, air-borne, and space-based instruments for astrophysics, planetary, and Earth science applications. This paper provides an overview of the science applications at submillimeter wavelengths that will benefit from this technology. It also describes the current state of the InP HEMT based cryogenic amplifier receivers at submillimeter wavelengths.

We map the lithosphere in Siberia by using the available broadband seismic data for calculation of Ps- and Sp-wave receiver functions (RF). RFs show converted waves from discontinuities in the vicinity of the seismic stations. The main objective is to image the Moho and upper mantle discontinuities...... results to the recent detailed model of crustal structure in the whole of Siberia (SibCrust, Cherepanova et al., 2013) and with seismic models for similar geodynamic settings worldwide....

Consumers are pushing for higher data rates to support more services that are introduced in mobile applications. As an example, a few years ago video-on-demand was only accessed through landlines, but today wireless devices are frequently used to stream video. To support this, more flexible network solutions have merged in 4G, introducing new technical problems to the mobile terminal. New techniques are thus needed, and this dissertation explores five different ideas for receiver front-ends, ...

Pacific Northwest Laboratory has recently conducted a simulation analysis to predict the transportation and waste handling equipment requirements for transporting government-owned transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Two interrelated models were developed. One estimates the time required to receive and unload shipping containers at the WIPP. The other model uses this estimate to predict the number of shipping containers and transporters that will be required

The article contains the already existing approaches to business and financial accounting of the discounts, acquired by the discount-receiver, analyzes their advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of their correspondence with the active legislation and economic content of the discounts operations. The article also covers the problem of the absence of patterns for accounting discounting operations which would altogether pass the standard ФЗ [FZ] “On accounting”, Accounting Regulatio...

This work aims at finding the optimal software design and implementation of an SDR physical layer on a homogeneous multicore architecture, and illustrates the approach developing a realtime demonstrator for novel mobile radio systems. Using stochastic inference methods, the generic receiver architecture is derived as breakdown into components. Different approximative algorithms are investigated to implement the components with a limited number of instructions. A method is derived to quickl...

Full Text Available The Auditory Prosthesis (AP is an electronic device that can provide hearing sensations to people who are profoundly deaf by stimulating the auditory nerve via an array of electrodes with an electric current allowing them to understand the speech. The AP system consists of two hardware functional units such as Body Worn Speech Processor (BWSP and Receiver Stimulator. The prototype model of Receiver Stimulator for Auditory Prosthesis (RSAP consists of Speech Data Decoder, DAC, ADC, constant current generator, electrode selection logic, switch matrix and simulated electrode resistance array. The laboratory model of speech processor is designed to implement the Continuous Interleaved Sampling (CIS speech processing algorithm which generates the information required for electrode stimulation based on the speech / audio data. Speech Data Decoder receives the encoded speech data via an inductive RF transcutaneous link from speech processor. Twelve channels of auditory Prosthesis with selectable eight electrodes for stimulation of simulated electrode resistance array are used for testing. The RSAP is validated by using the test data generated by the laboratory prototype of speech processor. The experimental results are obtained from specific speech/sound tests using a high-speed data acquisition system and found satisfactory.